Overcoming Differences
by Ocena Strex
Summary: One is a confident game developer, one is a famous pop star, and one is a part time administrator. But these aren't the only differences Atem, Yami and Yugi have to face in their lives. Follow them as they live their lives, and overcome the differences between them that crosses their paths.
1. Trying to meet the Pharaoh

**A/N: **Hiya all! Did you miss me?

First of all, I'd like to apologise for making my hiatus longer than intended. Work and games got in my way and as soon as I decided to take a break I completely lost all motivation for Materia Duel. I highly doubt I will ever continue with that story. I apologise to those who really liked it.

Anyway, after I made that decision I needed inspiration for something new. Luckily, soon after I announced my hiatus on my profile page I was approached by Lavender Rains for a collaboration. We've decided to write Runner Boy (see my profile for more details on that story) together. Progress is going slow, but the story is turning out beautifully, so look forward to seeing that fic in a while!

In the meanwhile, I decided I needed something to occupy myself with. Lots of plotbunnies have been spawning out of nothing and feeding me ideas. This one stayed with me, so I decided to give it a go.

This was initially intended as a long one-shot, much like The mending of shattered souls, but I just couldn't get it out the way I wanted it to. Taking my time, and allowing other writers to inspire me in terms of ideas and style eventually made this story a lot deeper than I intended it to be. I think I can comfortably squeeze in a few chapters with the ideas that I have, and probably a few more with some other ideas that are tempting me, but need to be worked out.

So, without further ado, I'll let you get to reading this new story of mine. Remember that I don't own Yu-gi-oh! or any of its characters, that mobiumshipping rocks, and that I love reviews.

Enjoy!

_**Update:**__ Thanks to Latent Radiance for suggesting an improvement to this chapter. It was scene that was bothering me as well, and I've quite rigorously changed it, and am quite pleased with the overall result._

0o0o0

**Trying to meet the Pharaoh**

A man stood at the entrance to the slightly illuminated alleyway. He wore an expression that bordered on both amusement and annoyance. In front of him was a group of screaming girls, all vying to get close to the door at the side of the building. They were all screaming the same name.

Pharaoh.

The man couldn't help but chuckle a bit. He knew that it wouldn't matter how much the girls would push, pull, scratch and scream, the end result would be the same. Neither of them would get past the burly man guarding the door. It didn't matter whether they truly were Pharaoh's greatest fan or not. There simply was no chance of them getting a meet and greet with the famous pop star. The only thing they would gain was a very sore throat, a huge feeling of disappointment, a few scratches and perhaps a few tears in their clothes, all for a pointless endeavour.

This was the source of the man's amusement. He thought it interesting how the hormones of these young girls could drive them wild to such levels that they would bear the shame for the sake of reaching for something they could never get. It was likewise the source of his annoyance. Unlike these girls he would be allowed to pass the security guard and go inside, but these girls were blocking the way.

He didn't feel like pushing his way through the crowd. It would be bothersome, leave him with scratch marks and torn clothes, and it would be inevitable that he would unintentionally touch at least one of these girls inappropriately while struggling to get though. He did not come all the way here to be called a sick pervert, receive a slap in the face, or perhaps even worse. He had come here to surprise the one these girls were desperate to see, and he was going to make sure he wouldn't have to go back home empty-handed .

After having observed the crowd for a while longer to see whether they were going to give up and leave, which they didn't, the man started becoming impatient. There needed to be some way to get past these silly girls. He wasn't completely sure at what time and how Pharaoh would leave this building, and once he had the man would have lost his opportunity to surprise him.

Suddenly a thought struck his mind, and he couldn't help but chuckle. It was so simple that he nearly berated himself for not coming up with it sooner. He turned around and took a few steps out of the alleyway, pretending to look around, and suddenly started yelling, "Look! Look over there! It's Pharaoh! He's leaving through the front exit!"

This caught the attention of the few girls that had heard him. Without any hesitation they started running past the man, who had to take a step back to avoid getting trampled, and back to the front exit of the building yelling, "Pharaoh! Please wait for me, I'm your biggest fan!" Or something similar. This in turn caught the attention of the girls who hadn't heard the man, and, like sheep following the flock, they also headed in the same direction.

'Gosh these girls are dumb.' The man thought wryly, but didn't let their antics distract him for too long. Now that the way was open, he could safely reach the security guard, who looked visibly relieved by the way. With a smile on his handsome face, he walked up to the tall, blonde man.

"Good evening Rafael." The man said pleasantly.

The security guard smiled and extended his hand in greeting, which the man took, before replying, "Are you responsible for saving my neck here Atem?"

Atem sniggered, "Yeah, though it was more in my own interest than yours. It was interesting to see you keeping those girls out."

Rafael shot him a look of mock hurt, "And here I thought you came all the way over to Tokyo just to safe my ass. I'm hurt Atem, deeply hurt."

Atem laughed good humouredly at that, with Rafael soon joining him. The two had been friends ever since secondary school, and simply couldn't resist having some playful banter whenever they saw each other. For Rafael it was also a good way to unwind after his recent stressful ordeal. He might be a security guard, but holding back rabid fan girls was not the most favourite part of his job.

"But seriously though, I didn't know you were coming." Rafael said once he had stopped laughing.

Atem also stopped laughing so he could reply, "Because I didn't tell anyone. I'm here to surprise Yami."

"I see. I need to see your backstage card, though."

Atem eyed the other suspiciously, noting the serious tone he had used to say that. It confused him for a while, unsure of whether Rafael was truly serious, or whether he was still joking. "You know I don't have one and I don't need one." He said carefully.

Rafael blinked in confusion, "You don't?"

"Since when did I ever need a backstage card to see my boyfriend?" Atem replied indignantly, fearing that his friend wasn't joking.

"Dartz made some new rules." Rafael hinted, hoping that his friend would remember, but he had no such luck.

"What new rules?" Atem demanded to know.

Rafael cocked his head and frowned in confusion. "Dartz really didn't tell you?"

"Never even got a memo from him."

The reply caused Rafael to sigh and look away, obviously displeased that Yami's manager hadn't informed Atem of this. He knew the relationship between Atem and Dartz had always been a bit tense, but this was ridiculous. He could at the very least have informed him of this. It would have saved Rafael, who had thought Atem knew, a lot of trouble.

"Dartz claimed he wanted to up Yami's security detail, so the only visitors he's allowed to receive have been sent a backstage card." He paused and looked at Atem sheepishly, "I'm sorry Atem. I thought Dartz had told you, and had sent you a card."

"It's not your fault Rafael. It's Dartz that I need to talk to about this." Atem grumbled, seething on the inside. "I wouldn't be surprised if he hasn't sent us a card on purpose. You know how he feels about his relationship with me and Yugi, and how it could supposedly ruin his image as a pop star, and Atlantis."

Both men indeed knew that very well. The resentment had been there ever since Dartz had learned about the relationship. Atem remembered that day well, since it was the day Yami had signed his contract. A day that had changed their lives forever.

_Yami was fidgeting nervously in his chair while he waited to be called into mister Orichalcos's office. Today was the day Yami would hear whether he could pursue his music career as a singer or not at Atlantis, the largest music company of Japan. Atem, who had come along as his mental support and was now seated next to him, rolled his eyes and reached out to grab the nervous young man into a one-armed hug._

"_Stop being so nervous darling, you'll be fine." He chided gruffly._

"_How can you be so sure Atem? What if the demo I sent isn't good enough? I really want this so badly, I don't know what I would do if he were to reject me."_

"_Then he's a fool for not seeing the talent that you have. But there are other music companies out there Yami, so it's not the end of the world if this one turns out to be deaf to your beautiful voice. We'll just try somewhere else. And if they all turn out to be deaf and blind idiots, then at least you can walk away with your head held up high for at least trying. You know Yugi and I will not love you any less for it._

_Despite the harsh way Atem put it, Yami was glad for the reassurance and smiled, "Thanks Atem. I appreciate the support, and I love both of you too."_

_Their moment was interrupted when the door to mister Orichalcos's office opened. Yami straightened immediately and sat on the edge of his chair, butterflies dancing in his gut. The man walking out of the office turned to him._

"_Yami Sennen?" He inquired with a smile._

"_That's me." Yami said nervously._

"_Dartz Orichalcos. It's a pleasure to meet you." The man introduced himself, holding out his hand to shake Yami's, which the aspiring singer took, "Please come in. We've got much to discuss."_

_Before Yami could stand up to follow the man into his office, he was held back by a warm hand on his shoulder. He turned his head to see Atem smile reassuringly at him "Good luck Yami. I'll be right here waiting for you."_

_Yami smiled back and nodded, "Thanks Atem."_

_After a quick peck on Yami's cheek, Atem released Yami's shoulder to allow his boyfriend to stand up. Dartz stepped aside to allow the young man to enter his office. Before he closed the door behind him he cast Atem a suspicious look. Atem frowned, unsure what to make of it, but before he could ask Dartz walked inside and shut the door. _

_Dartz joined the still nervous Yami in the middle of the room, before gesturing for the young man to take a seat at his desk, while he took his own seat at the other side. The man folded his hands under his chin and briefly scrutinised the aspiring singer before speaking up, "Well mister Sennen, I've listened to and reviewed the demo you sent us last week, and I'm pleased to inform you that I really liked what I heard."_

_The positive start of the conversation caused Yami to smile, "Really? Did you think it was good?"_

_Dartz nodded in confirmation, "Yes I did. You've got a very pleasant voice and a good sound. I also feel that the combination of the lyrics, sound and your voice work very well together. And now that I've seen you in person I must say that your looks also speak for you. It's not every day that an aspiring singer ticks all the boxes, but you most certainly do so far. I believe you might just be what Atlantis is looking for."_

_Yami was positively glowing at this point. Was it really true? Was he going to become a singer? He became so excited that he nearly ran out of the office to grab Atem into a fierce hug, but he managed to restrain himself. This conversation wasn't over yet._

"_However." Dartz's voice cut through his excitement, dimming it considerably and causing a sliver of doubt to wash over his mind, "Before I can offer you a contract I need to conduct an interview with you to see whether you've also got the right attitude to make it in this harsh business."_

_Yami let out a sigh of relief, "Yes, of course."_

_Dartz nodded in approval and continued, "Here at Atlantis we take great care in selecting people for several attributes. Naturally the person in question needs to have enough talent to make it into this business, and having good looks is a very helpful plus point. However, you also need to right attitude. We have a name of contracting honest and humble artists who make a proper addition to the music world, so we are very strict in our selection process. We don't tolerate those who allow fame to rise to their head. It does not only reflect badly on the artist, but also on us. Do you understand this mister Sennen?"_

_Yami nodded, confidently adding, "Yes I do. I've been thinking about it a lot before I decided to send in my demo, and I've talked about it a lot with Atem and Yugi, and-"_

_Yami abruptly stopped talking when Dartz held up his hand. Seeing the desired effect of this simple motion, Dartz replaced his hand under his chin, "Mister Sennen, might I inquire as to who these Atem and Yugi are?"_

"_Oh!" Yami piped up and blushed a little, "They are my boyfriends. You saw Atem earlier. He came along to support me. Yugi couldn't come though."_

_The hint of sadness when Yami said that final part was unmistakable, and Dartz frowned suspiciously again. He leaned backwards in his seat, tapping his fingers against one another in front of him as he processed what his interviewee had said and how he had said it._

"_Mister Sennen." He began slowly, causing Yami to look at him again, "When you say boyfriends do you mean to imply that you are gay, and in a relationship with two other males?"_

_Now it was time for Yami to frown. He didn't like the way the man in front of him had asked the question. He knew that his relationship with Atem and Yugi was controversial for several reasons at best, but he failed to see how that mattered for his desired career. _

"_Yes." He answered carefully, "Is there a problem with that?"_

_Dartz silently continued to tap his fingers with a thoughtful expression on his face, as if considering whether it was a problem or not. Yami tensely watched the man think. He knew how badly he wanted to become a singer, and he knew he really wanted Atlantis to contract him, but if his relationship with Atem and Yugi turned out to be a problem he would not hesitate to walk out of this office._

"_It could be." Dartz eventually conceded, causing Yami to frown in confusion. Dartz leaned forward, adopting a serious expression and placing his folded hands on the desk in front of him, "You must understand mister Sennen, that as an artist you have a certain power over your fans. One of the most important powers is that people will always want to be like their favourite artist. If the people will not shun you in the first place for being in such a relationship, then you could inadvertently be the advocate of polygamy."_

_Dartz paused to allow his words to sink in, meanwhile observing with a hint of amusement how Yami's confused expression morphed into one of surprised shock. After a brief moment, Dartz continued, "I see that you are starting to understand the gravity of the situation mister Sennen. Further understand that Atlantis does not wish to be associated with such unorthodox notions, no matter how talented you are. If you are truly serious about coming an artist, then I suggest you seriously rethink your situation."_

_The moment Dartz had spoken those final words, Yami's face instantly morphed into one of suppressed anger. It caused Dartz to lean back into his chair at the sheer intensity of it. He was struggling to understand what had caused this young man's intense ire. In an attempt to placate the situation, Dartz recomposed himself and spoke again, "Did I say something wrong mister Sennen?"_

_Placing his hands on the desk in front of him, Yami stood up angrily, causing the chair he had been sitting on to topple over, "Can I ask you something mister Orichalcos?" Yami asked through clenched teeth, but his anger didn't allow him to wait for an answer, "Are you married? Or have a lover at least?"_

_Dartz observed the irate man in front of him, still quite confused from his reaction, but answered him nonetheless, "I'm married to my wife, and have a daughter."_

"_Then tell me. If you were told that the only way to achieve your dream is by leaving both your wife and child - who no doubt love and support you in everything you do, and who make you happy and give you a reason to live – how would you respond?"_

_Dartz blinked at the question, and took a moment to imagine such a situation. A sudden realisation struck him. Apparently this man's love for those two other men ran very deep; just as deep as Dartz's feelings for his wife and daughter. It was difficult for him to understand. First of all, he had trouble understanding how any person could feel something for someone of the same gender. Secondly he had trouble understanding how any person could feel intensely for more than one person. Yet he could relate to this young man's situation thanks to the comparison he had provided._

"_You make a good point mister Sennen. I did not realise the implications of my earlier words. For that I apologize." He conceded._

_The apology caused most of Yami's anger to fade away. He released his grip in the desk and straightened his pose, but did not move to straighten the chair, but continued to look at the man in front of him with an gaze so intense that the emotional value of his next words were unmistakeable, "Please understand that I know that my relationship with both Atem and Yugi is controversial, but I love them both equally and could never leave one for the other or both. If it wasn't for them I wouldn't even be standing here, for they are the ones who have been nagging at me for months to give it a shot. They are the ones who will make sure that I will give it everything I've got. You're looking for someone with the right attitude and mental strength to cope with the rigours of an artist's life. Let me tell you that staying with Atem and Yugi will assure you that I am that person. Atem would kick my ass if I don't, and Yugi would be so disappointed in me that he wouldn't even look, let alone talk to me._

_So just to make this perfectly clear mister Orichalcos. Either you find a way to make this work without me having to destroy the best thing that has ever happened to me, or you will lose the opportunity to contract someone who you feel is talented enough to make it."_

Atem briefly smiled at the memory of that last part. Yami had been talking so loudly that Atem could hear him from outside the room, and man had he been proud of him. It had warmed him to the core that Yami was willing to give up his dream for them, and it had made him proud that the usually calm and caring young man had stood up for them in such a manner.

Moved by the heartfelt speech, Dartz had eventually conceded. They had found a way to hide Yami's social life from his growing fan base. To them he was only known under the alias Pharaoh, and while on stage he always donned an elaborate Pharaoh's outfit. This last bit actually suited all of them well. It made sure Yami was able to live a normal life while he was at home, seeing as people generally didn't recognise him while he was dressed in normal clothes. Dartz had been very nervous in the earlier stages of Yami's career, fearing that people would find out his real name or recognise him on the street. When that didn't happen the man had started to relax some. Still, his own feelings towards homosexuality and polygamy hadn't changed one bit, and the working concession didn't mean that he stopped trying to pry them apart, however subtly.

But it didn't work. The three continued to love and support each other throughout the few years Yami had been in the business. If anything Yami's long absences only caused the three to yearn for each other even more. Sure, Yugi and Atem had each other while Yami was on tour, but the latter was an essential part of their relationship. He would always leave a hole in both their hearts whenever he was on tour, and they would always miss him. This yearning led to Atem's idea of surprising his boyfriend ever since he had heard Yami would be giving a concert in Tokyo. The famous singer was right in the middle of his four-month international tour, so the timing couldn't have been any better. Without any hesitation, Atem had secured a ticket for the show, planning to surprise the famous singer afterwards.

But now his surprise was about to be ruined by that annoying manager. If it wasn't for the fact that Dartz did his job well, and had made sure that Yami had risen to great heights, Atem would have kicked his ass right there and then.

Turning back to his old friend, Atem looked at him almost pleadingly, something that looked strangely odd for the usual confident man, "So, are you going to let me in or not?"

Rafael looked slightly guilty at the demand, "Rules are rules Atem. I would be risking my job if I did not follow them."

"I got you this job in the first place Rafael." Atem shot back, his frustration rising once again, and his tone clearly indicating he wasn't going to take no for an answer.

Rafael raised his hands in defence. "Hey, you know that I'm grateful that you managed to make me your boyfriend's security guard, but my hands are bound Atem."

Atem sighed again and apologised to his friend, "I'm sorry Rafael, I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just that I've missed Yami so much, and really want to surprise him." He then scowled, "But then Dartz decides to be an insufferable prick."

Rafael shot him a sympathetic look. He knew how much the two loved each other. He also knew Yami missed him and his other boyfriend, Yugi, as well, and would be thrilled to see either one of them. The fact that Dartz was childish enough no to inform them of the new rules was only causing more problems. Now that he thought about it, the rules, which had seemed rather sensible at first seeing Yami's still growing fame, didn't change much. It wasn't like Rafael let people whom he didn't know in before the introduction of the backstage card. As a matter of fact, Rafael always made sure he knew who would be allowed to go in and who wouldn't.

Realising this he suddenly understood that this whole thing was probably solely intended of keeping Atem and Yugi away from Yami while on tour. His sympathetic expression suddenly turned into one of disgust. Dartz had used him for his own childish ploy, and Rafael didn't appreciate it one bit. His own respect for his friend's choice of relationship was now marred thanks to Dartz's intolerance towards it. If only the man would just stop meddling in other people's private affairs, no matter how much they brushed against his own beliefs, then he wouldn't be making so many people resentful towards him.

No longer torn between his duty as a security guard, and his friendship for the man in front of him, he roughly turned around and opened the door, "Go on." He said in a clipped tone that betrayed his suppressed anger.

Atem, who had silently observed his friend throughout his change of heart, carefully took a step towards the door, his gaze never leaving Rafael's face to see whether he was going to change his mind again.

Seeing his friend's confusion, Rafael answered the unspoken question, "In my role as a security guard I should keep you out no matter the circumstance, but on a personal level I don't appreciate being manipulated by an immature man, and set up against my friend. I no longer believe that Dartz truly meant this rule to be a means to protect Yami better, but as a means to keep you apart and even cause enough frustration to eventually drive you apart. I cannot let this happen, even if it means losing my job over it. Besides, Dartz will probably scold me for letting you through, but I don't think he'll fire me. He probably knows too well that he's in the wrong here."

Atem shot him a smile of gratitude, "Thanks Rafael. That truly means a lot to me. And I'll make sure I give Dartz a piece of my mind before I go home again."

Atem then moved to walk inside the building, but Rafael stopped him by grabbing his upper arm. Atem looked at him quizzically, for a moment assuming he had changed his mind again and wasn't going to let him in after all. He opened his mouth to protest, but was silenced when Rafael spoke, "Don't give that man any more incentive to attempt to drive a wedge in between you." He cautioned, searching out Atem's eyes to make sure his message reached home, "If you start shouting at him he will only use it against you. Don't give him any reason to try and turn Yami against you Atem. I know how loyal Yami is to you, but don't underestimate the power Dartz has over him as his manager."

Atem roughly tugging his arm out of his friend's hold, "I know Rafael." He grumbled back dismissively.

It caused Rafael to wonder whether Atem really understood what he was saying. As Atem made another move towards the door Rafael moved to block his way, causing two angry eyes to bore into his. Rafael didn't flinch however. He had been on the receiving end of that stare on more than one occasion, and instead of backing down he matched their intensity with his own.

After staring at each other for a few moments Atem was the one to back down first with a sigh of defeat, "You know I wouldn't do anything to risk Yami's career or our relationship Rafael." He spoke tersely.

"Not intentionally, no." Rafael agreed with a nod of his head, "But you need to be calm if you're going to see your boyfriend and confront Dartz about this. I understand that you're angry, believe me that I am probably nearly as angry as you are over this, but you know better than to allow your emotions dictate your actions."

"You're right." Atem agreed and took a deep breath to calm himself further.

Rafael watched with satisfaction as Atem's tense muscles slowly started to relax, his own tension fading along with it. He was glad he knew Atem so well. Any other man would have either stubbornly refused to let Atem in, or would have faltered underneath the man's intense gaze. Either option would have surely led to problems.

Now calm, Atem raised his head, his face sporting the calm, but determined expression Rafael knew so well. Rafael stepped aside and finally allowed Atem to enter the building, "Just go straight ahead and go up the first set of stairs you see. Yami's room is the first door on the left." He calmly instructed.

With a smile and a nod Atem thanked the security guard and entered the building, hearing the door close softly behind him. He quickly started following Rafael's directions through the dimly lit hallway. His eagerness rose with every step he took, and for a moment the thought of his imminent reunion with Yami made him forget his anger towards Dartz. He easily found the stairs and jogged up the long flight of steps. The exertion only accompanied his already increased heart rate even more, and as soon as he reached to top step he paused to take a few breaths and look around to get his bearings. It wasn't that Atem wasn't in shape. Quite the contrary actually, but his excitement of seeing Yami again and his residual anger towards Dartz had caused his heart to thump with vigour.

He quickly spotted the door Rafael talked about. There was a small whiteboard hanging from a nail on the door. On the top of the board it said 'Artist Room' in neat black letters, and below it the name 'Pharaoh' was written with a considerably less steady hand. The other doors along the hallway contained similar boards, though for different people temporarily occupying the rooms; band members, stylists, make-up artists, etcetera. Atem was sure he could find one that would say 'Mr Orichalcos', but also knew that the manager wouldn't be residing in his room right now. No, he would probably be around the stage, overseeing the packing of their equipment and making sure everything was wrapped up financially.

Deciding he would deal with the annoying manager later, he turned back to Yami's door. He took another deep breath and checked himself over to see if everything was in order. After straightening his clothes, he knocked on the door.

0o0o0

**A/N: **So what did you guy and girls think? I hope I did the characters justice.

I'm trying out some things in this story that I haven't really done before. One of the things is that I'm trying to be more detailed in my descriptions, mainly by using more adjectives and synonyms. I kinda like the style gushing forth from this, and I'm curious as to where it'll take me. Hope you like it as well!

**Next chapter: **Atem and Yami are reunited, and Atem confronts Dartz about the new rules. That'll be quite the showdown, ne?


	2. Surprise visit

**A/N: **Welcome to chapter 2 of Overcoming Differences!

I've had some wonderful reviews to chapter 1. Thank you all! They've helped making chapter 1 even better, so check out the updated version!

Without further ado, I'll let you get to reading this new chapter. Remember that I don't own Yu-gi-oh! or any of its characters, that mobiumshipping rocks, and that I love reviews.

Enjoy!

**Surprise visit**

A reclined figure lay on the sofa in the small dressing room. His right arm was slung over his eyes, while his left arm drooped lazily on the floor, an elaborate headdress still held loosely in it. The wearer had taken the sweaty thing off prior to crashing down on the sofa, but had been too drained to carefully dispose it on the slightly cluttered dresser first. His manager would probably scold him for not taking better care of his costume if he saw this. After all it was thanks to his costume that he could live his artistic life in obscurity, and keep his manager from meddling with his social life. Still, at the moment he was simply too tired to care. It wasn't like the damn thing, which he always thought was too hot and heavy anyways, was going to be ruined by lying on the floor.

This figure was none other than Pharaoh, one of the most famous singers of Japan. Someone who had even managed to obtain international fame, but who in ordinary life was simply Yami Sennen. And just like any other man he would get exhausted eventually. He had been on tour for two months now with almost no break in-between. His days consisted out of long hours on a plane or bus during the night and mornings, setting up and sound-checking everything at the venues in the afternoons, and giving his show in the evenings. On top of that, whenever his schedule had even a little bit of room his manager made sure to stuff it with interviews, photo shoots and whatnot. Suffice it to say that breaks like these were rare and far in-between, and Yami savoured them even if it meant being scolded later for his apparent 'laziness'.

Feeling himself relax and nearly nod off, he was startled when there was a sudden knock on the door. He instantly opened his eyes and looked at the door, frowning slightly. The only one he expected was his manager telling him they could leave for the hotel, but he shouldn't be done finishing up after the concert for at least another half an hour. He sighed and leaned his head back on the sofa again, closing his eyes. Perhaps his manager was done early today, so much for his moment of rest. In order to avoid a scolding that he was not in the mood for he rose his left arm to place the headdress on his stomach before calling wearily, "Come in, the door is open."

The sound of the door opening told Yami that his call had been heard and answered. Still fully expecting it to be his manager he didn't even bother to look at the one coming in before asking, "Done already Dartz?"

"And here I thought our bond was deep enough in order to sense each other's presence. Well, I guess that's another corny notion down the drain."

A jolt of shock ran through Yami at hearing the playful reply. It came from a voice that was most definitely not Dartz's. This voice was low and smooth, very much unlike the much higher voice of his manager. This voice caressed his eardrums in ways only one specific person could, instantly filling the tired man with warmth, and causing him to shiver. It also caused Yami to shoot upright from his position on the couch and look at the newcomer. His eyes grew even wider when they confirmed what his ears already had. In front of him was not the lanky form of his manager, but the strong and confident form his boyfriend, Atem. Still feeling a little flabbergasted over his boyfriend's unannounced visit, he could do or say nothing but whisper his name, "Atem?"

Atem grinned, pleased that his surprise had worked. He raised his hand in greeting, "Hello darling. It's been a while."

Shaking himself out of his stupor, Yami smiled and stood up from the sofa, completely forgetting about the headdress that fell on the floor in neglect. His fatigue was forgotten upon seeing his loved one, and he swiftly crossed the distance between them. Upon arrival he grabbed him into a fierce hug. He fully expected Atem to return the gesture immediately, so he was surprised that he didn't. Before he could look up to question him however, Atem commented dryly, "Ew, you're all sweaty."

Yami snorted and looked up at Atem's face with a scowl, "Well excuse me, but I've just had a show. I'm exhausted and can't properly freshen up until I'm back at the hotel."

Atem chuckled before finally returning the hug and pressing Yami close to him, "Relax darling, I was only joking." He murmured into his ear.

The way Atem's warm breath tickled his ear while that baritone voice he loved so much graced his eardrums quickly dispelled Yami's ire. He smiled and turned his head so it rested of Atem's shoulder, his nose close to his boyfriend's neck. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, breathing in the smell of Atem's familiar cologne, and sighing happily at the warm feelings the familiar scent brought him. He felt comfortable and relaxed in Atem's strong, protective and loving arms, feeling a strong sense of safety and trust wash over him. It made him realise how much he loved his boyfriend, and of how much he had missed him while he had been on tour.

Speaking of boyfriends, after a brief moment Yami leaned back and tilted his head to glance behind Atem, "By the way Atem, is Yugi here too?"

Atem gravely shook his head, obviously disappointed with the negative answer himself, "He wanted to come, but because this was meant as a surprise we couldn't make the necessary arrangements for him. He sends you his love though."

Yami's face fell knowing that his other boyfriend wasn't here. He loved the surprise Atem had provided him with, but seeing him also made him yearn for the other. While Atem's confidence and strength gave him a physical sense of security, the man could also irritate him to no ends with his sometimes rough, yet playful demeanour. Having a good conversation with him was sometimes something of a challenge, and usually ended in a full-blown argument. That's where Yugi came in, however. With his calm and gentle demeanour, his other boyfriend was pretty much the complete opposite of Atem. He was a great listener, and always gave advise where needed. It provided Yami with a certain mental strength Atem simply could never provide him with. In essence, both men provided him with something invaluable, and in turn he provided for them what they couldn't get from each other. Only as a trio were they complete, and not having Yugi here with them tonight made him feel incomplete.

Still, he understood Atem's words. Yugi's condition restricted him in his comings and goings. It made surprise visits like these nearly impossible for him to make. Thinking about this suddenly made him realise something, and his sad face then turned into a frown as he raised his eyes to meet Atem's again, "And you've left him all alone?"

Atem snorted derisively and rolled his eyes, "You know as well as I do that Yugi is perfectly able to take care of himself, especially for one night. But if it'll soothe your conscious, he invited Joey over for tonight." He said harshly as if he was scolding a child.

Many years ago the tone would have caused Yami to rile up to defend himself, but the years he had spent with the man had taught him that this was simply the way Atem responded to such things. He didn't beat around the bush, nor did he shy away from telling you things you actually didn't want to hear. Even though this had led to a number of fights in the past, Yami had eventually come to appreciate his boyfriend's straightforwardness, because it also meant that he never had to wonder whether he was being truthful. Atem always was. So now he took the scolding gracefully, knowing that his own protectiveness of their missing lover tended to border on being over protective at times.

"I just worry about him." Yami said sheepishly, lowering his eyes and absently fingering with one of the buttons of Atem's shirt, "I would be able to help him more if I hadn't decided to become a singer."

"Don't think that way Yami." Atem scolded, but his tone was much more mild this time. He then leaned close to Yami's ear and whispered, "Go for it! Don't let me hold you back. Make sure, by every means, that you follow your dreams."

Yami smiled and couldn't suppress a chuckle, making Atem's heart melt at how beautiful it made him look even though he was sweaty and obviously tired. Those lines belonged to the song _Follow Your Dreams_, which was special to them for several reasons. It was the song that had kick started off Yami's career as a singer, and remained his number one song even though he had been in the business for a few years now. But the song was even more special because of what it signified. Yami had been reluctant at first to pursue his dream, knowing he would be away from both Atem and Yugi for long periods of time should he break through. But Atem wanted him to go for it, and Yugi didn't want his situation to be the cause of Yami not following his dreams as well, so together they had written the lyrics to that song. They all remembered the day they had presented the lyrics to Yami as if it was yesterday. He had been so happy, and knowing that he had his boyfriends' support, Yami had decided to give it a shot. He completed the song and used it for his demo. Now, a few years later, Yami was living his dream. It was difficult at times to be away from his loved ones for longer periods of time while on tour, but he knew Atem and Yugi would be waiting for him, and welcome him with open arms whenever he came back home.

Yami leaned slightly up and pressed his lips against Atem's cheek, "Thanks Atem. I love you too." He murmured.

Atem's hand moved from Yami's lower back to his cheek, turning his lover's head so he could meet his beautiful purple eyes, seeing the sincerity shine deep within them. Without another word he pressed his lips against Yami's. Yami closed his eyes and moaned softly, leaning in for more contact. Before their kiss could become more passionate however, they were interrupted by another knock on the door.

Yami pulled back, "That must be Dartz." He said softly.

Atem's face instantly morphed into a scowl, a reaction that made Yami frown. He knew that his boyfriend didn't really like his manager, but so far he had always been at least civil around the man. As long as he would be professional in his duties as Yami's manager, Atem had decided to tolerate Dartz's presence. It was a compromise that worked as long as Dartz didn't overstep his bounds, which luckily wasn't too often. But even during those moments Yami had never seen Atem display such obvious disgust as he was doing now. It made him wonder what had caused it. The reaction was simply too severe for Atem to be simply put off with the interruption of their intimate moment.

"What's wrong?" Yami inquired softly.

Focussing his attention back on his lover, Atem replied calmly, though his scowl continued to mar his handsome features, "I need to have a rather lengthy talk with your manager about his implementation of certain rules."

There was another knock on the door, "Yami, are you in here?" Came Dartz's rather impatient call.

But after what Atem had said Yami was still confused about his sudden anger. He didn't want to be in the middle of a confrontation without knowing what it was about, so he quickly turned to the door and called, "In a moment Dartz. I'm not decent yet."

"Well hurry up! You've got an early flight tomorrow morning, and I want you to get as much rest as possible."

"Yeah, I'll hurry. Just hold your horses." Hearing no further reply from his manager Yami turned back to Atem, "What rules?" He inquired, keeping his voice low to avoid being overheard.

Atem glared at his boyfriend, though Yami knew it was directed towards the man on the other side of the door and not him, "The one where you aren't allowed any visitors unless they've got a backstage card." He grumbled in a low voice.

Yami's eyes widened in surprise before his brows knitted in confusion, "It's meant to make sure no uninvited guests can come in here. It's just a safety measure, what's the problem with that?"

The fact that Yami knew about the rule, but obviously also didn't know that his loved ones hadn't received a backstage card only fuelled Atem's anger towards the manager even more. It just showed how childish Dartz was in not even going into full details with his charge.

"The problem is," Atem started, hissing through his teeth in an attempt to continue to keep his voice down, "That we never received a backstage card, nor were we even informed of this rule until I saw Rafael just now."

Yami felt an odd sensation creeping into his stomach. For as far as he knew Atem and Yugi were supposed to get one. Though he had to admit that he wouldn't put it past Dartz to purposely forget something like this, he also had trouble believing he had done so. When Dartz had introduced the new rule during the briefing the day before this tour started, Yami has made it explicitly clear that he wanted Atem and Yugi to get a backstage card, just to avoid this problem altogether. Dartz had seemed slightly displeased at the request, but had assured him that he would abide by the singer's wishes. Dartz, despite his problems with his charge's relationship, had never betrayed him, so why would he now? It made Yami doubt whether his boyfriend's ire was justified.

"Are you sure? You were supposed to get them shortly after I went on tour." He said carefully, hoping to dispel some of Atem's anger, but failing miserably judging from the glare he received.

"I'm very sure." Atem seethed, "So why not get this cleared up by talking to mister Orichalcos himself?"

Yami didn't like the tone his boyfriend had adopted. The use of the man's surname only added to that feeling. He knew that Atem would argue heatedly with Dartz the moment he would step into the room and Yami would be in the middle of it. He could only hope that this whole matter was a little misunderstanding, and that Atem would accept that. At least then they could go to the hotel together and continue enjoying Atem's surprise visit, which now seemed on to be on the brink of ruin.

"All right, I'll let him in." Yami conceded meekly, not looking forward to this. But before he disentangled himself from Atem's arms he placed his hand on Atem's hot cheek, "But promise me one thing Atem. Please calm down and be civil. There could be many reasons why you never received the cards. Dartz not sending them is simply one of them."

Even though Atem didn't believe it for one bit that there could be another explanation for their current predicament, he nodded anyway for Yami's sake. He came here to surprise his boyfriend after all, not to fight with his manager. He didn't want to ruin it for the both of them.

Yami smiled and granted him a quick kiss on the other cheek in gratitude before he moved out of Atem's arms to walk towards the door. He placed his hand on the handle, but didn't turn it yet. Instead, he glanced over his shoulder to see whether Atem had composed himself enough. His pose was still rigid, and his cheeks still flushed with anger, but he was taking a few deep breaths in order to dispel at least some of it. Once done he looked at Yami and nodded, silently signalling that he was calm enough to proceed. Yami nodded back and turned the handle to reveal a rather impatient manager tapping his fingers on his folded arms while leaning against the opposite wall.

Dartz looked up when he heard the door open, "Well, finally. I thought I had to come in there and-" But he didn't finish his sentence when he took in Yami's appearance, who was still fully clad in his Pharaoh outfit minus the headdress. He pushed himself off the wall and took a step towards the singer, "What in the world is going on here? Why haven't you changed yet?" He demanded to know.

Yami frowned a bit at the intensity of his manager's reaction. Sure, they were usually on a tight schedule and his manager hated it when something was delaying it, but lately he had been responding to everything with more annoyance than before. Upon realising this he started fearing the agitated states of both his boyfriend and his manager were going to hopelessly clash after all once they saw each other. Yet he also knew that it was inevitable, so he simply sighed, resigning himself to his fate. He didn't comment on what the man had said, but instead he opened the door a little bit further – not enough to reveal the other occupant of the room - and beckoned his manager to come inside, "I need to talk to you Dartz." He said in a neutral tone that revealed nothing of his reasons for not having changed out of his attire yet, or for wanting to talk to him.

Dartz grumbled a few inaudible words to himself, but made his way into the singer's dressing room without a fuss. Yami couldn't help but wonder what had gotten his manager so riled up. It caused him to unconsciously hold his breath as Dartz stepped over the threshold and his annoyed heterochromic gaze clashed with angry crimson. Unfazed with the burning intensity of Atem's gaze however, Dartz simply narrowed his eyes and proceeded to step further into the room, allowing Yami to close the door behind him so they could have some privacy in their upcoming argument.

"I suppose you are the reason for holding Yami up." Dartz sneered, obviously displeased with seeing his charge's love interest, "What are you doing here?"

Atem didn't back down from the obvious challenge Dartz was giving him, but instead crossed his arms and cocked his head before rising to the bait, "I believe you already answered your own question before even asking it Dartz. I'm obviously visiting my boyfriend and 'holding him up'. What else would I be doing here? Finding out whether stage diving without a crowd is a good idea?"

Yami, who was still standing behind Dartz, shot his boyfriend a warning look when he saw the effects of Atem's taunt on his manager. Dartz was simply bristling with indignation over the cocky comment, and with the look Yami was attempting to tell his boyfriend to tone it down and remember his promise. But Atem had his eyes solely locked onto Dartz, his attention focussed on the man like a predator challenging another over mating rights.

Luckily for Yami, Dartz, despite his rising indignation, kept a cool head and in turn didn't rise to the bait Atem provided him with with his last comment, "Don't get so cocky Atem, you know what I mean. You know that I want to have Yami focussed on the tour, and therefore do not appreciate any unannounced visits."

"Oh, is that why you never sent us those backstage cards?"Atem, seeing the clear opening, quickly retorted.

This comment actually caused Dartz to be taken aback and frown in confusion, "What are you talking about."

The reaction actually caused Atem's anger to rise even more, "Don't play dumb with me Dartz. You know exactly what I'm talking about."

"Apparently I don't. So perhaps you should enlighten me."

"Stop it!" Came the sudden yell from the forgotten third occupant of the room, successfully causing both quarrelling men to shut up. Yami stepped from behind his manager to stand in between the two, assuring that he had their full attention before speaking up. He first turned to his boyfriend, "Atem, you promised me that you would accept other explanations for not receiving the backstage cards instead of jumping to conclusions and blaming Dartz. You're not holding up to that." He accused, surprising Dartz with how successfully it made the confidant man back down and even look a bit sheepish. But then his charge turned to him, and from the intensity of his scolding glare he understood. If looks could kill, both he and Atem would have died a hundred times over, "As for you Dartz, I just want to know one thing. Did you, or did you not sent my two boyfriends a backstage card after I had explicitly requested it of you?"

The commanding tone Yami used reminded Dartz just how fitting Yami's stage name was for him. Being still dressed in the Pharaoh's outfit only amplified that. In general he knew Yami to be calm and rather easy to get along with, but apparently he could also be a beast when angered. Luckily it wasn't too often that he was on the wrong end of his ire, but this time it forced him to reply quickly and truthfully, "Of course I did." He said honestly, relieved to see Yami relax with the affirmation.

"Then how come we never received them, nor received a note informing us of that rule?" Atem demanded to know, though his tone and manner was much more controlled now after Yami's scolding, unwilling to receive another tongue-lashing.

Dartz turned his attention back to Atem, "I don't know. Granted, I wasn't initially planning to, because I want Yami to focus on his tour along with tightening security measures, and I felt that any visits from his…acquaintances would only distract him. You would have been informed of course, but wouldn't have received the cards." He admitted shamelessly, proving that Atem had been right about his initial ploy and that he had no qualms sharing it. They all knew how Dartz felt, so he saw no need in hiding it. But before either of the other two could comment on that Dartz turned his attention back to Yami and continued, "But as soon as you had made that request I accepted it, and had the cards made and prepared for sending along with the explanatory note. I even personally saw to it that they were posted the next d-" Dartz's eyes grew wide when a sudden realisation dawned on him, and he slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand with a groan.

Atem, feeling they were getting close to an answer, narrowed his eyes in suspicion, "The next what Dartz? Please enlighten us." He quipped, earning him a jab in the ribs from Yami's elbow.

While Atem rubbed his side and shot Yami an apologetic look, Dartz sighed and looked up again. His expression had turned from annoyed to sad with even a hint of guilt. It surprised the other two, who had never seen him like this, "Do you remember I had that phone call that day Yami?" He asked softly.

Yami frowned a bit as he searched his memory for that day. It wasn't too difficult to remember, since it was the first official day of his current tour. They had had the briefing the day before and were planning to leave to his first venue early that morning. Yami recalled that Dartz had received a phone call while they were waiting for their flight at the airport. He had excused himself and walked off a short distance to have some privacy. A little while later he came back looking pale and quite stressed, but Yami hadn't questioned it then. It wasn't the first time that some problem with Atlantis would suddenly pop up and require Dartz's attention even while he was unavailable.

Yami nodded, "Yeah, I remember. What about it?"

"That was my wife calling me that day." He said tiredly, adopting that very same stressed expression as Yami had witnessed that day, "She called me to inform that my daughter, my sweet Chris, had an accident and was severely injured."

Yami gasped at the news, and even Atem couldn't help but feel sympathy for the man in front of him, but they both remained otherwise silent to allow him to continue. They watched how Dartz's gaze turned to his feet as he clenched his fists, "She had gone out with her boyfriend Valon the night before, and apparently decided that it was a good idea to go joyriding on his motorcycle while being drunk." Dartz then raised his head and locked his gaze with the other two males again, allowing both to see just how much this situation affected him. It showed how much Dartz loved his daughter, how disappointed he was in her actions, and how angry he was at her boyfriend, "Valon lost control over his bike while taking a sharp bend. They crashed into a tree at the side of the road."

"Gosh!" Yami gasped, unable to stay quiet for much longer. He walked up to his manager with a look of concern on his face, "Is your daughter okay?" He asked with a sense of urgency.

Dartz sighed and looked away again, making Yami fear the worst. But then the man unclenched his fists, his features softening a bit along with it, but retaining the sorrow he felt, "She had quite a blow to the head and was unconscious for several hours. Other than that she had a few broken bones, and some internal bleeding. Luckily she was wearing a helmet, and there was someone nearby who witnessed the crash and called an ambulance straight away, or she would have either died on impact or bled to death. She's still recovering, but fine now." He finished.

"What a relief." Yami whispered in sympathy, reaching out his hand to place it on his manager's shoulder in comfort, "So that's what has gotten you so stressed lately."

Dartz simply nodded before looking at Atem, "I was planning to post the cards before our flight, but I hope you understand that was the last thing on my mind at that moment. After that, I simply forgot about it."

Yami turned his head to regard Atem, shooting him a pleading look to beg him to forgive Dartz. But the look wasn't really necessary. Atem could tell that the story Dartz had just told them was genuine and he could understand the manager's feelings. He would feel the same if something ever like that happened to either Yami or Yugi. So he nodded, "I'm sorry for what happened to your daughter, and I understand that you forgot. Let's just put this behind us." He offered, earning himself a smile from Yami and a look of relief from Dartz.

"There's just one thing I don't understand though." Yami said, turning the attention of both others back to him with questioning stares, asking him to elaborate, "Why didn't you cancel the tour to go see your daughter? You know I wouldn't have argued against it given the circumstan-."

"I wanted to." Dartz admitted before Yami could even finish his sentence, "And if my daughter had still been in critical danger when my wife called me I would have. But she was already stable, so my wife assured me that it was all right for me to go. It was a very difficult decision to make, but my wife can be very convincing when she wants to be."

Now that was a sentiment both Yami and Atem couldn't quite understand, and Yami couldn't help but feel a bit guilty. If it hadn't been for his tour, then Dartz could have been with his family when they needed him. Granted, he didn't know, but that didn't mean that he didn't feel that way regardless.

Atem on the other hand wondered about Dartz's wife. If something serious were to happen to Yugi while Yami was on tour, he would want Yami to join him even if Yugi was going to be fine. He also knew that Yami wouldn't even take no for an answer if he gave him that option. He had told him and Yugi time and again that his relationship with them had priority over his career as a singer. Atem respected Dartz for his devotion in his work, but felt that this went a little bit too far in his opinion. It actually made him curious as to what kind of person Dartz's wife actually was to convince her husband that his work preceded being by his recovering daughter's side.

"Anyway, now that that has been cleared up, "Dartz started, breaking the gloomy silence that had descended upon the room, "We've wasted enough time here. Yami, get changed. Atem, a quick word with you in my room while Yami gets ready."

Yami and Atem were stunned to silence at the sudden change in Dartz, and could do nothing but nod in affirmation to his commands. Yami set out to gather his stuff so he could get changed, while Atem followed Dartz out of the room and to another one a few doors down the hall. Upon entering Dartz walked up to his briefcase that was lying on the desk. He opened it and rummaged through it until he found what he was looking for. He held out a large envelope to Atem, which he gingerly took.

"That's the envelope containing the backstage cards for you and Yugi." He explained, "Make sure you'll bring them along next time. I'll make sure to instruct Rafael not to let you in next time if you don't have one."

Atem nodded, but gave no other reply, still a bit stunned over Dartz's story and his decision to go on with the tour. He simply couldn't get his head around the entire 'the show must go on' mentality.

"Just one more thing Atem." Dartz interrupted his musing, "I was serious when I said I want Yami to focus on his tour and can't use any distractions. This means that I want your visits to be kept to a bare minimum."

Atem rolled his eyes, "You make it sound like I'm trying to ruin Yami's career. Might I remind you that it were me and Yugi who actually encouraged him to give it a try in the first place? I'm here to show my support, and provide my boyfriend with a little bit of love and relaxation. I'm convinced it'll only give him even more enough energy to continue doing what he loves to do. If my actions are counterproductive, then trust me that Yami will let me know. So please refrain from trying to keep us apart."

Dartz grumbled over Atem's insubordination, knowing that he was right, but unwilling to admit it himself. And even though he couldn't stop the man from visiting his charge, he was unwilling to stop until he had at least some kind of victory over the other, "Then at least inform me beforehand, so I can see whether the visit is convenient. It would be a pity if Yami wouldn't even have the time to see you when you do come over."

Atem, who clearly heard the unspoken implication behind Dartz's words, narrowed his eyes in suspicion, "Is that a threat I hear there Dartz? Are you seriously considering making Yami is booked so fully that it wouldn't ever be convenient for us to visit him?"

Dartz smirked confidently, making Atem worry whether he had made a fatal error, "I never said that." The manager said smoothly, "My intentions are purely for the benefit of my charge's career and general wellbeing. Even you must know that Yami is a busy man, and that you got lucky to even be able to see him tonight. For all you knew he had to be on a plane right now on the way to tomorrow's venue."

Atem growled softly, knowing he had been bested, for he could find no flaws in Dartz's logic, "Fine." He conceded, "But if I even expect for one moment that you are being deceitful I'll make sure to let Yami know. Then you can deal with him."

Dartz nodded, "I can live with that."

Right at that moment there was a knock on the door and Yami walked into the room, now dressed in a casual outfit consisting of some faded blue jeans and a black long-sleeved shirt, informing them that he was ready to go. Dartz gave him an approving nod and turned his gaze back to Atem as if to silently confirm their agreement. Atem understood and gave the man a tiny nod, but also shot him a warning look that spoke volumes of his shaky trust in the man. Atem then turned to Yami and wrapped his arm around the latter's waist. Yami smiled and returned the gesture, laying his head on Atem's shoulder as they walked out of the small temporary office together with Dartz following them.

0o0o0

**A/N: **I'm actually amazed with how well this chapter went in terms of writing. I actually wrote over half of this chapter in one day! That's over 3000 words in one day and that's something I can't usually pull off. Usually I get to write a 1000 words a day, 2000 if I'm lucky, before hitting a snag somewhere that requires some thought before I can continue. But I was so pleased with how it was going that I actually had to stop myself and force myself to go to bed at one point. Man, that felt awesome, and I hope I can keep this up for the remainder of this story. That said, I couldn't even include everything I wanted to include in this chapter, but it would simply have become too long, so I've decided to leave that for the next chapter. It's also the chapter Yugi will finally make his appearance.

I hope I've managed to redeem Dartz a bit. I know many of you thought of him as a jerk, and even thought Yami shouldn't have signed that contract. It actually inspired me come up with a good reason as to why Atem and Yugi never received those cards, and was lucky to come across one very cute plotbunny by the name of daughterhadsevereaccidentattherighttime. XD But I also wanted to emphasize that Dartz is a little bit of a jerk no matter what. That's why I've decided to give him the heterochromic eyes (you know, while he was corrupted by the orichalcos he had one green, and one golden eye).

Enough about me rambling over my writing choices that you should be able to figure out for yourself! On to…

**Next chapter:** Yami and Atem make the most of their shared evening, and you get to find out what's up with Yugi. I know I've made you curious about him ;).


	3. Riminiscing

**A/N: **Welcome to chapter 3 of Overcoming Differences!

It took a week longer than I expected, but I got it out in the end! I was suddenly hit with inspiration for another story (FF7 Clack for those who are interested), and took some time to start on that one. Hence why this one came out later than expected. I've decided to post that one after I finish this one.

Without further ado, I'll let you get to reading this new chapter. Remember that I don't own Yu-gi-oh! or any of its characters, that mobiumshipping rocks, and that I love reviews.

Enjoy!

0o0o0

**Reminiscing**

It had been a while since Yami had been as comfortable as he was that night. He was lying on his side with his head on Atem's firm chest. His lover's beating heart and the steady rise and fall of his chest soothed him as he drowsed. He had awoken a couple of minutes ago, noting that it was the middle of the night. But instead of going back to sleep Yami decided to savour the warm, contented and safe feeling he had while having Atem at his side. He was a bit sad when he realised that the picture was incomplete. He was used to seeing Yugi being in a similar position, only then on Atem's other side. Yet, even though the thought of not having Yugi here saddened him, he couldn't help but chuckle, since the realisation also triggered a fond memory.

It was during the early days of their relationship as a threesome, when Atem had just moved in to live with Yami and Yugi. They had gotten into a rather silly argument over who would sleep in the middle. This argument was mainly between Yami and Atem, since Yugi preferred to sleep on the side anyway for several reasons. First they had stood in the middle of the room while starting throwing arguments at one another. When that didn't solve the issue they decided to turn more physical. Yugi had watched them with quiet amusement as both tried to claim the spot while keeping the other away. The scuffle, which could have been serious, soon turned into a rather playful ruff which Atem eventually won. He was lying on his back while pinning Yami's head to his chest. With the other subdued he had motioned for Yugi to join them, which he gladly did. Meanwhile Yami conceited his defeat and relaxed. Atem had wrapped his arms around both of them, holding them close. But the thing that Yami remembered most, were the words he had spoken.

"_How else can I protect the both of you if I can't keep you both close to me? This way I can watch over the both of you, and keep you safe."_

Yami smiled at the memory. The serious way in which Atem had spoken those words had given them that much more impact. Ever since Atem had claimed the middle spot and had spoken those words Yami had never felt more safe than when he was nestled onto his chest.

The singer opened his eyes and glanced at his boyfriend's sleeping face with fondness. His tousled hair stuck to his forehead, which reminded Yami of their night together. The trip back to the hotel hadn't been long, but for Yami it had seemed like hours as he desperately wanted to be alone with Atem. He was sure Atem had felt the same way. They had even been delayed when Dartz had decided to give them a lecture on how Yami had to get up at seven in the morning in order to be ready in time to travel to his next venue in Shanghai, and how Atem had better make sure not to delay him. Atem had simply rolled his eyes, pointedly telling the manager that he would make sure that Yami would be ready in time before practically dragging the singer into his hotel room and closing the door behind them.

"_Finally, I've got you all to myself." Atem had whispered lovingly while moving in to claim Yami's lips in a hungry kiss._

_Yami kissed back with vigour, but soon turned away, "I'd like to take a shower first."_

_Yami started to move towards the bathroom, but Atem grabbed his arm to prevent him from getting too far away, "You seriously want to clean yourself up before getting down and dirty with me?" He asked humorously._

_Yami blinked and blushed. He was so used to taking a shower after his show that it had become a routine. He hadn't actually thought about how it was pretty useless with what they both had in mind, and it was quite embarrassing. Atem chuckled, which only caused Yami's embarrassment to turn into anger._

"_I believe you were to one who was complaining about me being sweaty earlier." He shot back while ripping his arm from Atem's grip._

_Atem looked at him with a mischievous glint in his eyes. He knew exactly where this conversation was going and he knew he was going to love it. He held out his arms and looked at his shirt, "Well your first hug and you cuddling up to me in the limo on the way here has already drenched this shirt with your sweat, so I guess it's already beyond repair. And I've gotten used to the smell by now."_

"_So you're telling me that my sweat ruins your clothes and that I stink." Yami pointed out angrily, but Atem could tell from his manner that he was only pretending to be so, "If I didn't know any better by now I would have thought you were trying to keep me away from your bed."_

_Atem laughed and embraced his boyfriend. Yami made some show of resisting, though light squirming wasn't heartfelt, and Atem had no trouble keeping him pressed to his chest, "No." He whispered sensually after his laughter had died down, "You and Yugi are the only ones who are allowed to ruin my clothes and stink." _

_Yami stopped struggling and smiled. Then an idea suddenly sprung into his head and he grinned mischievously against Atem's chest, who didn't see it, "Well, I guess that you won't mind me doing this then."_

_Yami suddenly looped one arm around Atem's chest and started rubbing his armpit against it, while his other arm moved and stretched up, practically shoving the other armpit in his nose. Atem laughed at his lover's playful assault, and tried to get way. But Yami was relentless and followed him through the hotel room while brandishing his sweaty armpits, jokingly saying how Atem should smell the lovely aroma._

Yami chuckled again. Somewhere in the middle of their playful chase around the hotel room they had wound up on the bed. Things had turned passionately fairly quickly at that point, but their playful mood had remained during most of their foreplay. Yami remembered how Atem had at some point stuck his nose into Yami's armpit and took a big whiff. After briefly analysing the smell he had playfully claimed that Yami wasn't sweaty enough yet, and that he had to do something to change it. Well…he was certainly successful at accomplishing that.

Another wave of fondness washed over the young singer. He loved the playful banter he was able to share with Atem when they were together. Considering that Atem could be rather rough around the edges and had a bit of a possessive streak, it was nice to know that he wasn't the lustful beast people expected him to be. Sure, once he was in the mood there was pretty much no stopping him from getting what he craved, but he also became very playful. It always made their intimacy fun asides from pleasurable.

Yami failed to notice how his hand had started to absentmindedly stroke the surface of Atem's chest and stomach while he was lost in his thoughts and memories, until Atem started to stir a bit. The sleeping man groaned softly and opened his eyes, "Yami?" He said sleepily.

Yami shifted his head so he could look at him, "I'm awake." He said softly.

"Why? Can't sleep?"

Yami shook his head without lifting it from his boyfriend's chest, causing his hair to deliberately tickle a rather sensitive area he knew about, "No, just thinking about how much I love you."

"Well, keep this up and you'll have to love Atem Junior as well."

Yami barked a laugh and glided his roaming hand downwards, stopping on Atem's lower stomach, "Only if you'll love mine as well."

"Haven't sweated enough, eh?" Atem grunted before pulling his lover further on top of him, their lips only inches apart, "Well, I think I can oblige."

Their lips clashed; a prelude to the start of another round of fun filled passion.

0o0o0

The blonde young man stretched his arms above his head and yawned before relaxing back into couch he was sitting on.

"You tired Joey?" The smaller young man sitting next to him inquired with a soft chuckle.

"A bit. You've chosen a great day as your day off Yug'. Work was simply hectic." Joey replied tiredly, but then a smile formed on his face as he added, "And eating your wonderful cooking and crashing down on the couch in front of the television isn't really helping."

Yugi chuckled again while shaking his head in amusement. He enjoyed spending the evening with his colleague and best friend Joey. He had even made sure to do some extra grocery shopping after Atem had left for Tokyo that day, since he knew his friend pretty much had a bottomless pit for a stomach. Even more so after a hard day of work at the administrative office they both worked at. It amused him to no end how the cheerful and energetic young man, who always brought a positive atmosphere at the workplace, could become as lazy as a contented cat when he had a full stomach and a television to stare at.

He was glad that Atem had suggested inviting him over while he was visiting Yami in Tokyo. He had been a bit disappointed at first when he couldn't come along to visit his other boyfriend. It caused one of the rare occasions that he hated not being able to go anywhere on a whim. He had accepted his situation a long time ago, but that didn't mean it never bothered him, and things like this usually triggered them. But luckily for Yugi he was surrounded by friends such as Joey who could provide him with the company and distraction he needed to make him forget such destructive thoughts.

Besides, he had known beforehand that it wouldn't be that easy for him to visit his boyfriend while he was on tour. It was difficult even without the special arrangements that needed to be made especially for him. While on tour Yami was constantly on the move, from being in western Europe for two weeks to travelling to all corners of the United States within a month, and so on. It was his job as much as Yugi had his own. It was only a stroke of luck that Yami was performing so close to home halfway through his tour. It hadn't been a planned venue originally, so the announcement came quite late, and Yugi didn't blame Atem for taking this opportunity to visit him, even if he couldn't come along. If only they had known a little bit sooner, then they could have made the proper arrangements.

Yugi shook his head at his thoughts, 'No use crying over spilled milk.' He mused. He had long since decided that he would accept their situation, and allow Yami to do what he dreamt of doing. He was nevertheless jealous that Atem was being with Yami now, but the thought that he had Atem all to himself while Yami was away soothed the green monster. He was lucky that he wasn't alone; that his relationship with Atem besides the one he had with Yami actually allowed the singer to pursue his dreams without having to worry about him. Not that Yugi couldn't take care of himself. On the contrary, he was more than able to live independently, but this way he didn't need to be lonely during Yami's long absences, and Yami could rest easily knowing that his first boyfriend was taken care of.

Yugi suddenly chuckled, causing Joey to look at him and raise his eyebrows in question, "Yug', I know you're in a wheelchair and all, but I didn't think you would think it's funny when someone hears he will never walk again."

"Huh?" Yugi said in confusion, not understanding what his friend was talking about.

Joey motioned towards the television, on which they had been watching a silly soap series that had been on, but Yugi hadn't really been paying attention as he was lost in thought. He now saw how the man on the hospital bed was trying to stay strong as his girlfriend was crying on his chest for his fate, and understood what Joey was talking about. He chuckled again, realising that it must have seemed quite stupid to be mirthful at such a moment.

"I wasn't really paying attention, but thinking about something else." Yugi explained when Joey shot him another questioning look.

Joey grinned, always in for a good laugh, "Care to share?"

"I was just imagining Yami being angry at Atem for supposedly leaving me alone tonight." Yugi replied.

Joey frowned in confusion, "I fail to see how that's funny." He confessed.

Yugi shook his head with a smile, unable to get the thought out of his head now, "It's just that it's only because of Atem staying with me that Yami agreed to give his dreams a shot in the first place. It stops him from worrying about me. So the thought of Yami chewing him out over leaving me alone for a single night in order to see him is actually rather funny."

"Oh, I see. I guess when you look at it that way it kinda is." Joey chuckled softly, but then turned more serious, "But seriously though, doesn't it bother you that Yami worries about you that much?"

Yugi shrugged, "It does sometimes. We even get into arguments about it occasionally, and sometimes even Yami and Atem fight over it when Atem feels I should be able to do something, while Yami thinks I shouldn't. It's annoying at times, but I know he means well. And as long as he realises when he has crossed the line and apologises before backing off I can deal with it. So far, we've always made up in the end. I'm actually comforted in knowing that Yami cares about me so much that he wants to protect me so badly. It's a rather endearing quality in him that I don't get from Atem, you know?"

Joey thought about those last words for a while, but soon understood their meaning. Ever since he had met and befriended Yugi five years ago when he was instructed to show Yugi the ropes around the workplace, he had been a frequent and welcome visitor. He knew all three of them well, along with their differences and similarities. Though he wasn't privy to many details about their unique relationship, he did know that both Yami and Atem were fiercely protective over his best friend, but were very different in how to express that at the same time.

Atem was a strong man who could be rather intimidating despite not being very tall. In fact, even though Joey was taller than him and surely not a pushover he wouldn't want to get into any physical fight with the man. Just having his dominating presence near Yugi kept his colleague safe from harm. But that's where Atem's protection basically ended. He wasn't one to baby Yugi, or treat him like an invalid. He knew Yugi could do a lot on his own without any help, so he rarely offered it. It was something Yugi appreciated, since it caused him to feel like he wasn't worthless; that despite being in a wheelchair he could still live a relatively normal life. Yet at the same time Atem's disposition could also cause him to try to do something he simply couldn't do, and the fact that he simply couldn't do everything he wanted then came as a hard slap to face.

Yami certainly was different in both aspects. First of all, though he wasn't weak in any sense of the word, he bore a much more gentle aura with him. He was the kind of guy you would probably trust asking for help if you encountered him on the street. But instead of having that strong physical presence, Yami tried to protect Yugi in different ways. He would offer his help, or even do something just so Yugi wouldn't have to. In general it wasn't much of a problem, but Yami had the tendency to be a bit extreme, making Yugi feel like he wasn't good for anything. This way, Yami's disposition was as much as a double-edged sword as Atem's. Only this time Yugi could get really tired of being mothered by his boyfriend, while at other times he enjoyed being able to be lazy.

So Joey understood how both Atem and Yami provided Yugi with a different kind of protection. There was a balance that was undeniable despite the relationship to be a bit controversial. Where Atem lacked, Yami provided and vice versa.

"Yeah, I get you." Joey replied, and glanced to the clock to check the time. Seeing that it was already growing late, he stretched again and made to stand up, "Well, I guess I should get back home."

Yugi also glanced to the clock and nodded, "Yeah. Thanks for coming over tonight Joey. I enjoyed your company."

"No thanks bud. You know I like your cooking too much to say no to an invite." He replied while patting his stomach to emphasise his point, causing Yugi to laugh, "By the way, need any help with that before I go?" He asked, indicating the glasses and dirty plates that were stacked on the coffee table.

With any other friend Joey wouldn't be concerned over them, and simply would leave them for the host to clean and put away. But it was different with Yugi. Because of the latter's disability it would take him considerably longer to clean them up than it would Joey. Simply getting the dishes from the living room to the kitchen could prove to be quite challenging for the simple fact that he would have to balance them on his legs while using his arms to move the wheelchair. The task generally required multiple trips back and forth between both rooms in order to get all the plates and glasses there safely. A task that would take Joey only a few seconds to accomplish, and yet he knew it was best to not appear to be too helpful by cleaning up without asking. Yugi always appreciated it when someone would inquire first.

"Well, it would make my life easier if you could take them to the kitchen. Don't worry about cleaning them though. That's no problem for me."

"Sure thing." Joey smiled and started gathering the dishes before bringing them to the kitchen.

Meanwhile Yugi took the remote and turned off the television before shifting his weight on the couch, and reaching for his wheelchair that he had parked nearby. He quickly checked whether it was still on the brake. Ever since he had forgotten to put it on the brake when he was younger, and wound up in a rather awkward position on the floor with nobody around to help him up, he had developed the habit to always double check it before lifting himself in and out of it. Seeing that it was still secure, he reached over with his arms to firmly grab the armrests. He lifted himself off the couch - his strong arms and years of practice making the task easy - and gently settled into the seat. He lifted the brake and was rolling himself towards the kitchen when Joey exited it. He thanked his best friend before letting him out and saying goodbye.

Yugi then sighed, noticing how quiet the house had suddenly become. It had been a long while since he had been alone at night. As a matter of fact, now that he thought about it, he had actually never been alone ever since his college years. Him and Yami had bought this house soon after graduating and getting a job, and they had always been at home at night. Atem was no difference once he moved in with them about a year later. This thought actually caused an odd feeling to form in Yugi's stomach. He was so used to at least one of them being there, of using Atem's warm chest as a pillow, that he was a little bit unsure of being able to sleep at all tonight.

Deciding to worry about that later Yugi turned his wheelchair around and went back to the kitchen to clean up the dishes. This wasn't a hard task for him, since the kitchen had been modified especially for him. The counters were lower than usual and there was some space underneath some of them to allow him to access them comfortably. Asides from that most of the cupboards were within arm reach as well. Only those holding items he wouldn't generally need were out of his reach. For now he settled himself in front of the sink and opened the low cupboard to his right to grab what he needed and started working. Asides from the two plates and glasses from before, there really wasn't much else. Just a few mugs and some pots and pans, nothing he couldn't handle, and the task was soon finished.

While drying his hands Yugi wondered what to do next. He could either stay downstairs and watch some more television, or head upstairs to get ready for bed. The uneasy feeling from before returned. Tonight Atem wouldn't be waiting for him to hold him close and neither would Yami. He would be completely alone in their big bed, while Yami would actually have a night with one of his lovers for a change. This thought caused even more emotions to well up inside of him. Jealousy for not being able to be there and see Yami himself, happiness for allowing Yami the chance to not be alone for a night. The conflicting nature of these emotions only made him feel worse. He thought it was weird how he could be both negative and positive about the situation. He guessed he just didn't want either of them to be lonely. It wasn't like he wanted to keep Atem all to himself, as he was more than willing to share him with Yami, just as much as he was willing to share Yami with Atem, but at the same time he wanted to be a part of it. They were only complete when they were with the three of them.

Yugi smiled sadly at the realisation. He knew he always missed Yami while he was on tour, and how happy he was when he was at home. He was always the happiest when all three of them were together, but it wasn't until now, when he would be spending the night alone for a change, that he truly understood what they both meant to him.

He decided that he was too distracted to focus on anything on the television, so decided to head upstairs and face his first night alone in many years. He headed to the staircase, which was equipped with a stairlift. He positioned his wheelchair in front of the lift, made sure it was on the brake, and lifted himself from the seat of the wheelchair to the chair of the lift. He supported himself mostly with his arms, but was able to support himself a little bit on his weakened legs. It was quite helpful, since it made turning his body around a lot easier. Once he was securely settled on the seat of the lift, it slowly started to move up along the rail.

That was actually the only thing Yugi didn't like about the thing. He loved how it made it possible for him to live and move around their home, but the thing was so damned slow. It literally took him a full minute to reach the top of the stairs, a task that would take a walking person only five seconds if it wasn't even less. The tediousness of the ordeal always made Yugi consider his actions carefully. He didn't want to move up or down the stairs only to move back a second later because he forgot something or didn't really need to be there for long. So even though the stairlift was very helpful, it was still also a little bit restrictive in its usage.

Once it finally reached the top of the stairs Yugi hoisted himself into his other wheelchair that was waiting there. From there on he started his usual routine before getting to bed, which also took quite a while due to his limited mobility. He first brushed his teeth, and then made sure to use the toilet, so he was sure he wouldn't have to get out at night. He undid the cord on his sweatpants and allowed it to fall to his ankles a he lifted himself from the wheelchair and onto the toilet seat. Using the handle on the wall he lifted himself up a bit with one arm and two shaky legs while his other arm swiftly tugged down his underwear. This actually took a few times before the piece of clothing was down far enough. While he emptied his bladder he removed his t-shirt and bend forward to remove his socks and grab his pants from the floor. He bundled them up and threw them in the hamper with a well-aimed throw. Once he was done he hoisted his underwear back up while lifting himself up a couple of times again before getting back into his wheelchair and finishing the task by flushing the toilet and washing his hands. Then he was finally ready to move to the bedroom. He rolled himself to his side of the bed and grabbed his sleeping shirt and put it on.

He usually didn't wear any pants to bed, since they were simply such a hassle to get on and off for him. Only if it was really cold did he wear some. Atem certainly didn't mind, and sometimes even teased him that if he thought it was such a hassle then he shouldn't even wear any underwear either. Yugi was used to his teasing by now and would take it as an incentive to tease along, which generally led to a night of passion. Yami had been different at first by offering Yugi to help him get his pants on and off if it would make things easier for him, but Yugi had always declined, claiming that he was perfectly able to do it himself, but was perfectly comfortable in sleeping in his underwear and shirt alone.

The memory made Yugi smile in fondness as he lifted himself onto the bed and settled beneath the sheets. He even remembered how Atem had been in stitches over Yami's offer when he innocently made it one night when Atem was around. That was before he had even moved in with them yet. Both Yami and Yugi had been a bit confused about this at first, until Atem had made them aware of the sexual innuendo that went with the offer. Both had blushed so profusely after that, especially since they actually hadn't taken that step yet despite having been together for years already at that point. Yugi had been very scared and insecure because of his disability, fearing that he wouldn't be able to feel enough due to being partially paralysed from the waist down. Atem was actually the one who had eventually managed to coax and convince Yugi that everything would be all right. If it wasn't for him, then he probably would still have been a virgin. Atem had brought so much into his life next to Yami.

The contend smile remained on Yugi's face as he closed his eyes and slowly started to drift off to sleep. He found out that thinking about his boyfriends and how much he loved them actually diminished the odd feeling he'd had before. It was almost like they were right there; Atem in the middle with both Yugi and Yami resting comfortably on his chest. Before he knew it, he was asleep and dreaming of good times.

0o0o0

**A/N: **Alright, first off, I love how the beginning of this chapter worked out. I think it's because I'm starting to love my Atem more and more with each chapter. He's such an enigma and yet fairly easy to write. Much easier than Yugi…

I struggled a lot with the Yugi and Joey scene. I've changed Joey's character like five times before I was even remotely satisfied. He's gone from being clueless about understanding the relationship to being fully understanding. I'm still not completely happy with it, since I feel like I'm explaining too much, plus the explanation essentially comes from Joey's perspective, which makes it doubly odd. I could use some tips on that.

I know the last part mat be a bit boring with me just basically describing how Yugi goes about his routines, but I thought it essential to have this in to show how he deals with being in a wheelchair. It's a new concept that I felt I needed to explore. Everything I know about it comes from what I know about a teacher of mine from back when I was still in school. Besides being the best teacher ever (even though Latin wasn't my favourite subject), she was also in a wheelchair. I remember how she always chose her moments to go to the toilet carefully, since it could take her up to half an hour to go. We had a nice group during my fourth till sixth year, so she didn't mind leaving us with an assignment while she went, knowing that we would work on it while she was gone. She couldn't so that with a bunch of hyperactive second years… So yeah, I'm not an expert on the subject, but I do know some details and I'm looking up a lot to make everything more credible. First hand experiences are welcome though.

That said, I will go into more detail about Yugi's disability, but I didn't want to explain too much after the 'Joey explanation'… Yep…that's how much it bothers me…

**Next chapter:** Yami and Atem have to say goodbye again, and we get to see more of Yugi as he goes about his day.


	4. Recapture what was let go

**A/N: **Welcome to chapter 4 of Overcoming Differences!

Gah! My life is killing me! My job stresses me out to such an extent that I had to call in sick last week. I'm so sick and tired of disrespectful students who just won't shut up when I want to start my lesson… I'm sorry if you're still in school and my comment troubles you. I just needed to get that off my chest. I'm meeting with my supervisor tomorrow, so hopefully something positive will come out of that.

But enough depressing rambling from me! I did finally get some inspiration for this chapter and used…used…*goes to Google Translate* Pentecost (seriously? Is that how you English people call it?) to type it up.

Without further ado, I'll let you get to reading this new chapter. Remember that I don't own Yu-gi-oh! or any of its characters, that mobiumshipping rocks, and that I love reviews.

Enjoy!

0o0o0

**Recapture what was let go**

"Yami." Atem said softly to his sleeping boyfriend. Said boyfriend simply groaned softly and snuggled closer to his chest, refusing to wake up. Atem chuckled softly, "Wake up darling, it's time to get up."

"Don't wanna." Yami mumbled.

"So I've noticed." Atem replied with another chuckle, receiving an annoyed frown from Yami for being jostled around, but he still refused to open his eyes, "But you don't want Dartz to chew the both of us out, now do you?"

Yami groaned again and finally opened his eyes. He turned his head to look up at his boyfriend to see him smiling down at him affectionately. He smiled back, "I guess we shouldn't provoke him."

Atem hummed in approval and leaned slightly up so he could place a kiss on Yami's forehead, "No, we shouldn't, so as much as I would like it to sleep in with you, you should get ready."

"Yeah." Yami agreed and leaned up to place his own kiss on Atem's lips, "Wanna join me in the shower?"

Atem grinned mischievously, "Didn't you get enough already last night?"

Yami shook his head, "I need to stock up for the next two months." He declared playfully, "And besides, you would have followed me anyway even if I hadn't asked."

"That's true. I need to make sure you keep that sweat of yours where it belongs." Atem replied equally playful.

Yami burst out in laughter, and Atem felt a great wave of affection surge through him. The comment was said in jest, as he knew he wouldn't ever have to worry about Yami being with someone else. But the fact that Yami laughed so heartily at it only confirmed this feeling, and it felt good. Plus, seeing Yami laugh in such a relaxed manner also confirmed something else to him. Despite his earlier unwillingness to wake up, and last night's activities Yami looked relaxed and seemed to have a lot more energy than when Atem first saw him last night. There was an unmistakable sparkle in his eyes that caused his whole face to look that much more beautiful and bright. So there was no doubt on his mind that his surprise visit had done his boyfriend a lot more good than bad. He was sad to see it end, but at least he could go back home to Yugi knowing that Yami was fine.

Yami's lips were suddenly pressed against his own once the laughter had subsided. Yami moaned, pouring every emotion he felt for Atem into that one simple kiss before pulling back, "Then you'd better take me and my sweat to the bathroom right now." He said huskily.

Atem growled and quickly pulled the blankets away from their bodies. Yami shivered slightly as the cool air suddenly hit his warm body, but it was soon replaced by Atem's warm arms wrapped around him as he was dragged out of bed. Yami laughed again and allowed himself to be taken into the bathroom. Atem started to kiss him again after he had turned on the water and they were waiting for it to warm up. Yami wrapped his arms around his neck and kissed him back with equal fervour, glad they were already naked so they didn't have to struggle with their clothes. This was going to be their final moment before not seeing one another for another two months, and Yami was going to savour it.

0o0o0

Yugi woke up to the incessant ringing of a phone. He groaned and looked at the clock, seeing that it was only seven-thirty. Who in the world would call him on a Saturday at seven-thirty? Yugi groaned again and shifted a bit, noticing how he had somehow ended up closer to the middle of the bed, Atem's spot, during the night. Thinking back about it he could vaguely remember waking up in the middle of the night, feeling a bit odd not to lie on top of Atem's warm heaving chest. Being still half asleep, he had unconsciously crept further to the middle of the bed. That is, his upper body had. His legs had stayed where they were, being unable to follow many commands, even unconscious ones. Still, as soon as he had found Atem's pillow and breathed in his scent his mind was reassured again and quickly drifted back off to sleep, sleeping through the rest of the night without any problems. That is, until the phone decided to end it.

Using his arms Yugi shifted back to his own spot and blindly grabbed for the phone that was on the nightstand. They had purposely placed it there so Yugi wouldn't have to go through too much trouble picking it up should it ring while he was in bed. He thought it was a nice consideration at the time, but right now he wondered why they had ever bothered having a phone in their bedroom in the first place.

"Hello?" He muttered sleepily once he had finally found the offending device.

There was chuckling on the other end of the line, "Good morning squirt. Did I wake you up?"

Yugi frowned. There was only one person in the world who was allowed to call him squirt. The nickname was courtesy of him not being very tall even if he wasn't in a wheelchair, but considering not many people could really judge his height there were only a select few who realised that fact. Atem was one of them, and had turned to calling him squirt. Yami had looked shocked when he first said it, and Yugi himself had also frowned, not really knowing what to think of it. But the term, which has a certain negative undertone, soon became an endearing nickname for the disabled young man. But this was only true when Atem said it, because only he could say it in such a way that was both teasing and loving. Not even Yami had that privilege.

But this soon caused Yugi's earlier question to resurface, "Atem, why in the world are you calling me at seven-thirty in the morning?"

Atem chuckled again, much to Yugi's annoyance, who would rather hang up the phone and go back to sleep, "Did you forget who I'm with, squirt? Even though you couldn't come along, I figured you could still have at least some quality time with him this way."

Upon hearing this Yugi's eyes immediately shot open, all traces of sleep gone from his mind and body, "Yami? He's still with you?" He said excitedly.

"You bet he is. Right now I've got him pinned down to the bed while he's trying to grasp the phone out of my hand."

It was then that Yugi could hear the faint sounds of struggle in the background. He heard a muffled voice trying to say something, but Yugi figured Atem had placed his hand over Yami's mouth to keep him quiet. It was something he would do.

"So," Atem continued, "What will you give me for allowing you to speak with Pharaoh? Mind you he's an international pop star, so speaking to him doesn't come cheap."

Yugi groaned once more and closed his eyes while using the hand not holding the phone to pinch the bridge of his nose. He knew of what kind of payment Atem was referring to, but he wasn't in the mood to indulge him in his silly game, "Atem, it's simply too early to play this game. Besides, it's not like you don't get enough already. Just let Yami go and let me talk to him."

Yugi could hear Atem mumble "Spoilsport" before he finally heard Yami's voice demand for the phone. Apparently his teasing boyfriend had decided to accept the request and had released the trapped singer at least partially from his hold on him.

"Yugi?" Yami's warm voice travelled to his ears a moment later, causing him to smile again.

"Hey Yami. How are you?" Yugi replied back happily.

Yugi could practically hear Yami smile at the other end of the line, "Struggling with an obnoxious boyfriend, but otherwise fine." Yami replied with a hint of exasperation, which caused Yugi to chuckle. Yami's voice turned slightly more sad, though, when he added, "Wish you were here as well though."

Yugi sighed sadly, knowing that it was due to the visit being a surprise that he wasn't able to be there. Getting to Tokyo wasn't the problem. They had a car that was specially accustomed to transporting him and his wheelchair. Finding out whether the building Yami's show was at is wheelchair friendly also wasn't a problem. The problem was that they didn't know beforehand whether the backstage area was likewise accessible, and whether the hotel Yami would stay at, if he even would, was wheelchair friendly. The only way to find out would be by contacting either Dartz or Yami himself, which would have spoiled the surprise.

"I wish I was too sweetheart." Yugi replied demurely, but then lightened up a bit when continuing, "But enough about that! Tell me, have you been to any nice places on your tour?"

"Yeah I have!" Yami said enthusiastically, obviously glad for the change of subject, "I've seen so many places I want to take you and Atem to when we get the chance Yugi. You should see some of Europe. It's amazing! I was even lucky enough to have a day off here and there, so I could go sightseeing. I saw some of Paris, Rome and Amsterdam. Did you know they eat raw herring in the Netherlands? They even have a traditional way of eating it by holding it by its tail and letting it slide inside your mouth while tipping your head back. I was a bit hesitant about trying it out at first, but then thought it wouldn't be that much different from eating sushi. It actually tasted really great!"

Yugi smiled at hearing his boyfriend retell his experiences which such enthusiasm. He was glad that Yami got the occasional day off to relax and see some of the places he went to. Yugi always loved to hear the stories, and the three of them had actually already visited some places when Yami was off tour. Despite his own impaired movement, he loved travelling. It gave him a sense of freedom. But Yami's enthusiasm also told Yugi something else. Despite being away from his loved ones for extended periods of time, he was happy with what he was doing, and that was even more important to Yugi.

"That sounds great sweetheart." Yugi said with genuine interest when Yami had finally stopped rambling. "Where will you be going next?"

"I'm leaving for Shanghai today, and from there I'm going to tour through Asia for a few weeks. I'll even be going to places such as Beijing, Hong Kong and Singapore. Then we're going to dip south to perform in Australia and New Zealand before heading to the Middle East."

Yugi sighed dreamily. How wonderful must it be to be able to move around like that, seeing places you had never thought you'd visit otherwise. Sure, it was part of Yami's job and he didn't get to see much of most places, but Yugi couldn't help but be a little jealous nonetheless.

"But enough about me." Yami continued, snapping Yugi out of his thoughts, "What have you been up to aibou?"

"The usual." Yugi replied, smiling at Yami's use of his nickname, "Doctor Hawkins retired soon after you left though, so I've got a new physical therapist now. I was a bit nervous since doctor Hawkins has been my therapist since I was a kid, but doctor Valentine turned out to be really nice. She's also been doing a great job so far, so I'm satisfied with her."

"That's great to hear aibou. I would love to meet her when I get back home."

"I know you will like her. She's-" But Yugi stopped himself before continuing. He had almost spilled a secret that he had been preparing for Yami for when he got back home.

"What was that Yugi? I didn't quite catch you on that last bit." Yami suddenly said.

Yugi started to frantically search his mind for some way to save himself. He glanced at his legs, as if them being part of the secret would make him come up with the perfect safe. He didn't want to spoil the secret prematurely, especially since he knew the revelation would be a very special occasion. He was working so hard on it the last two months, and it would be such a shame if it were to be spoiled by a simple comment, "I said that she's gotten me to go swimming once a week." He eventually said. It wasn't even untrue, since she had. The fact that it wasn't a lie made Yugi feel a little bit more confident, and he continued, "She says that it's a good way to keep in shape and train my muscles without straining them too much."

"Is that even safe?" Yami wondered with a concerned tone in his voice, "I mean, what's the risk of you drowning because you can't use your legs?"

Yugi laughed, "Don't worry Yami, I know how to swim without my legs. I learned that while I was still a kid, but I've never really done anything with it. It was a bit awkward the first time, but I soon got the hang of it again. Besides, there's always someone nearby should anything go wrong, so please stop worrying. I'll be fine!"

Yugi heard Yami sigh in relief at hearing the reassurance. Yami was quick to worry about such things, and in the past he would have doubted Yugi's safety for a long time. He needed to see his boyfriend was fine before deeming something to be okay back then. Luckily he could now take Yugi's word for granted even though he would worry at first.

It was different with Atem. When Yugi had told him what doctor Valentine had suggested he had even encouraged him on rather than being worried over it. Truth be told, he had gone along on his first time back in the pool, but all that time he had just calmly sat on the bench at the side while watching Yugi with pride. Since it had been Yugi's first time swimming after many years, the instructor had stayed close to him until he got the hang of it again, giving Atem enough confidence that he was in the right hands. If Yami had been there, he would probably have been right there in the water with him, annoying the crap out of his disabled lover until said lover would probably firmly order him to get out of the water and leave him be.

"Sorry aibou." Yami apologised sheepishly, "I just don't want something bad to happen to you."

"I know sweetheart, but I'm really fine. Just think about it this way. Doctor Valentine wouldn't have recommended it if she didn't deem it safe for me. I know she'd only been my therapist for a short while when she recommended it, but I trusted her. She hasn't let me down yet."

"Okay." Yami conceded, but didn't continue. Yugi could hear some noise in the background that sounded like a knock on a door and somebody talking. He heard Yami sigh, "I'd love to talk some more Yugi, but Dartz is at my door telling me it's time to go."

"Oh." Yugi said, a bit said that their short moment on the phone had come to an end. He could talk to Yami for hours, but duty calls, "You'd better go then. Do your best sweetheart, and have fun. I'll see you again in two months. Love you."

"Love you too aibou." Yami said before hanging up.

Yugi sighed a contented smile. Even though he hadn't been able to come along with Atem he had at least been able to speak with Yami over the phone for a little while. It meant a lot to him that he could to some extend join in them being together again, and it caused a giddy feeling to well up in his stomach. It was a feeling of happiness, but also of excitement. It was as if speaking to his first love for even a short while gave him a ton of energy.

Speaking of energy, now that he was fully awake he decided he might as well get out of bed. He usually wouldn't get out until nine-thirty, which was his usual time to wake up when he didn't have to go anywhere, but the energy surging through him simply wouldn't allow him to go back to sleep again. Yugi smiled as he pushed away the blankets, thinking about how he had actually slept surprisingly well considering neither of his boyfriends had been there with him. It had been so long since he'd been alone that he'd been worried, but it appeared that his worries had been for naught. It was also reassuring that simply having his memories of them close at heart, and knowing that they were probably thinking of him as well made them connect on such a level that it was as if they were right beside him even if they weren't.

As soon as his body was free of the restraining material, Yugi manoeuvred himself to sit on the edge of the bed, using his hands to aid his legs in moving. He was actually able to move his legs a little bit, just like they weren't completely numb and he could support a little bit of his weight on them for a very short time, but using his hands was simply much faster. He supposed he could use the movement as an exercise to train them, but it would take too much time in his eyes. Now that he knew Yami was leaving for Shanghai, he expected Atem to come home soon as well. Although the man needed a few hours to travel from Tokyo back to Domino, Yugi estimated that Atem would be back home later in the morning. Due to his limited manoeuvrability it always took him a while to get through his morning routine, especially now that there was no one to help him. Not that he usually got much help from Atem to begin with, but if he did need it his second love would be there in an instant. In any case, Yugi wanted to be ready when he got home and worry about exercising his legs later.

He hoisted himself into his wheelchair like he'd done so many times before, though with each passing day it lately became a lot easier. Ever since doctor Valentine had taken over from doctor Hawkins she had been giving him exercises for his legs. She felt that, even though Yugi would never be able to walk, he could make a lot of things a lot easier for himself if he did. She even didn't exclude the possibility that Yugi might be able to stand straight without any support for a short time once his leg muscles had been sufficiently trained. It might not seem much on the outside, but it meant a lot to Yugi. It would make his life so much easier if he could use his legs a little bit more. Plus, he was also hoping to achieve something he had wanted to achieve ever since his relationship with Yami and Atem had gotten sexual. He was working hard so he would be ready when Yami got back from his tour, and surprise him. Hopefully, he wouldn't be forced to just lie on his back while they were intimate, but he could be more active.

He made his way to the closet grab some clothes. For Yugi it was important that everything was in easy reach from his wheelchair, so nothing could be either to high up to too low down. In his case all his clothes were on the shelves and in drawers that were not higher than just above his head, to no lower than just below his knees. Luckily the three of them shared a bit closet that had enough room for Yugi's clothes to fit in the space that met these requirements, while keeping enough space available for Atem and Yami's stuff. So, he fist opened one of the doors and grabbed a clean pair of sweats from the bottom shelf, along with a shirt from the one above that one. These kinds of clothes were easy to get on for him, and comfortable to wear. He had some more fashionable clothes for when he needed to go to work, but for today this would do. Placing the articles of clothing on his lap he closed the door and reached down to the drawer that was underneath it, and was around knee-height for him, to grab some socks and clean underwear. Adding those to the small pile on his lap he closed the drawer and made his way towards the bathroom.

After going through his usual routine of going to the toilet, he got ready to take a shower. He turned on the water so it could warm up before placing his clothes on top of the washing machine, where they would be in easy reach when he needed them. He then grabbed a towel and hung it on the rack next to the shower so he wouldn't have to get out of the cabin when he was done to dry himself off. By then the water had turned warm and Yugi was ready to get in. He lowered the seat that was attached to the wall and grabbed a firm hold of the handle bars on either side. He was glad for the rubber mat on the floor, because it kept him from slipping on the wet floor, something that could be a real problem for him. Once he was settled he started cleaning himself. His hair and most of his body wasn't much of a problem, but it became tricky when he came to cleaning his backside. He used one hand to grab one of the handle bars and leaned slightly towards that side, using his other hand to quickly scrub himself clean before doing the same thing on the other side.

When he was finally done he allowed himself to simply sit under the warm spray of water. It was something that he loved doing, since the warm water relaxed him and helped him think. Right now he was thinking about what he needed to do today. Since it was a Saturday, the usual weekly grocery shopping needed to be done. However, considering he couldn't take along much in his wheelchair, it would be better to wait for Atem to get home. But other than that there wasn't anything else Yugi knew that needed to be done today. He could simply get some breakfast, wait for Atem to get home, do the shopping, and then settle down to relax for the evening.

For about ten minutes Yugi simply let his thoughts wander to what usually came out of a relaxing evening with Atem. He even briefly wondered whether it would be any different tonight, since he knew for certain Atem had probably had enough last night. He immediately chuckled at the thought, knowing that Atem would probably want to make up for his absence last night, so there was actually no doubt on Yugi's mind what their evening was going to look like. He eventually turned off the water and grabbed the towel off the rack to start drying himself. Again most of it wasn't a problem until he got to his lower body. He dried off his legs and feet as best as he could before placing the towel in the seat of his wheelchair. He then carefully moved himself to sit back in his wheelchair, where the towel absorbed most of water left on him. It was a trick he had learned long ago, and was still glad he had. He finally went about the time consuming task of getting himself dressed, pulling the towel from underneath him when he was done. After more than an hour after waking up he was finally done and ready to head downstairs.

Once the stairlift had safely taken him down and he had settled into his other wheelchair again he set out for the kitchen to grab some breakfast. He didn't make anything fancy, just some sandwiches and a cup of milk. Since many things took up so much time in Yugi's life he was never one for complicated breakfasts. He enjoyed cooking, but not after he'd just spend an hour on something that would take an average person only half an hour, if not even less. So a simple peanut butter sandwich and a cheese sandwich was enough for him in the morning.

When he had finished his breakfast he rolled himself to the living room and turned on the television, deciding it would be the best way to pass the time while he waited for Atem to get back home. He pondered on whether or not to move to the couch or stay in his chair. The couch was more comfortable, but if he stayed in his chair he would be able to greet Atem as soon as he got home. Truthfully, Yugi didn't exactly know how long it would take for Atem to get from Tokyo to Domino. For all he knew he could be just around the corner right now, or still a few hours away. Hoping that it wouldn't take too long, he decided to stay in his chair.

0o0o0

Atem was relieved when he finally parked his car in front of his house. He didn't mind driving, but the trip from Tokyo to Domino took nearly three hours. That was excluding the time he needed to stop along the way to get some breakfast. Not to his surprise Dartz hadn't arranged for Atem to join them at the hotel. Although he had naturally only prearranged it for whoever was involved in the tour, Atem felt it was a bit silly of him to deny him joining them. The hotel wasn't that fancy to begin with, since they only used it to sleep there for one night and they liked to keep it as low key a possible to keep Yami's identity a secret, so it shouldn't have been that much of a problem to feed one more person. But Dartz had been adamant about Atem not being able to join them. Instead of making a fuss about it Atem had accepted the denial. He said his final goodbyes to Yami before heading off home, stopping at a local café along the way to fill his own stomach.

"I'm home!" He called out when he had opened the front door.

Atem could hear the sound of wheels rolling over the wooden floor and shortly afterwards Yugi appeared from around the corner to greet him, "Welcome home Atem." Yugi greeted him while reaching out with his arms.

Atem smiled and leaned forward to hug his disabled boyfriend. Yugi squeaked and tightened his arms around the other's neck when Atem suddenly straightened himself, lifting Yugi out of his wheelchair. Before Yugi could question it his lips were met with Atem's, "That's for coming to greet me." Atem said when he had pulled away, "And this is Yami's gift for you." He continued before placing his lips on Yugi's again, only this time making the kiss much deeper, pouring all of Yami's love for him in it.

Yugi smiled once his lips were finally relinquished, "That's a nice gift." He murmured.

Atem smiled back and carefully placed Yugi back into his wheelchair, allowing the both of them to move further into the house, "So, everything went all right here last night?" He said on the way.

"Fine. I was glad Joey came over though." Yugi admitted, still remembering how odd he felt once his best friend had left and he was all alone.

Atem nodded and grinned as he sat down on the couch, "Yami almost chewed me out when he thought I had left you all alone. Seriously, he worries about you too much."

"Well, that's Yami for you. But you know that's what I also love about him." Yugi chuckled, moving to join his boyfriend on the couch.

Atem hummed and pulled Yugi close once he had joined him. Yugi smiled again and snuggled against him, feeling the familiar warmth in his chest for being in Atem's arms. A great surge of love and safety always accompanied the simple gesture. It was slightly different than when he would be in Yami's arms. It was difficult to describe, but he guessed that it was because Yami loved and protected him differently than Atem did. He loved them both equally, but also differently. In any case, it felt good to feel that sensation again.

"So, tell me everything about your visit to Yami." Yugi said once he had settled comfortably.

Atem nodded and started telling his boyfriend all about last night. He left the part where he had argued with Dartz out of it. The issue was settled now and he didn't want to ruin the mood. Yugi wanted to know about Yami after all, not about his obnoxious manager. Yugi smiled throughout the story, asking questions here and there, roaring with laughter when Atem told him about 'the revenge of the sweat' as he referred to their foreplay. Atem was happy that Yugi took everything so well, considering he had been a bit stumped when it became obvious he couldn't come along. It made him swell with love. This was what Atem loved so much about the disabled young man. Even though he was in a wheelchair, and even though he could sometimes be sad for being limited in his comings and goings, he would always accept it soon and bounce right back. That was a strength not even Atem had, and it was a strength that had made him fall head over heels for this young man.

0o0o0

**A/N: **Wow! This chapter turned out longer than I thought, and I didn't even put everything in it that I had planned to! I blame the scene with Yami and Yugi talking on the phone. It wasn't planned, but in the end it just seemed so fitting and it helped giving a few more glimpses into Yugi's life. Even though I needed to rewrite some parts here and there, I'm overall satisfied with how this chapter turned out. There are some things that I've touched here that will be further explored in the next chapters. I hope I've gotten you interested.

**Next chapter:** We'll stick with Yugi and Atem, and explore more of Yugi's life and his relationship with Atem.


	5. Results of beginnings

**A/N: **Welcome to chapter 5 of Overcoming Differences!

Sorry for taking a little longer than planned. I blame Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, and Rainbow Loom (yes, I got hooked up to the new rage…). With the former I laughed so hard, because the Dutch voice actor for Luke Triton is the same one as the Dutch voice actor for Ash Ketchum. At the beginning of the game there is an action scene in which the professor and Luke are being chased by witches, and I kept on expecting Luke to say "Pikachu! Ik kies jou!" (which is Dutch for 'I chose you'). Needless to say, it cracked me up.

Without further ado, I'll let you get to reading this new chapter. Remember that I don't own Yu-gi-oh! or any of its characters, that mobiumshipping rocks, and that I love reviews.

Enjoy!

0o0o0

**Results of beginnings**

Evening had started to set in, and both lovers had once again settled down on the couch. By this time, Atem had gotten pretty tired. He hadn't slept much the previous night for obvious reasons, and had gotten up early. After that he had driven all the way from Tokyo back to Domino, before doing the necessary tasks back home, like grocery shopping. Luckily, Yugi had offered to cook that night, allowing Atem to relax. Now that everything was said and done though, fatigue had decided to settle in. And so Atem lay stretched out on the couch with his head in Yugi's lap, while Yugi was absentmindedly running his fingers through his hair.

It wasn't often that Yugi saw Atem like this. Normally their positions would actually be switched, with Yugi resting his head on Atem's lap. Once again it would be Atem protecting him, guarding him, caring for him while he rested. So to have their roles reversed was pretty special to Yugi, in particular considering his disability. For a moment he could forget that he was the one that usually was protected, and instead could watch over Atem as he drowsed.

The position also allowed him to think about other times in which he had seen Atem look so vulnerable. The first time was actually when they officially met.

_Yugi was rolling through the local supermarket, checking his shopping list as he gently navigated the aisles. Yami wasn't with him. Yugi had pretty much ordered him to stay at home, claiming that they only needed a few small items so he could handle it. Even though they had been living together for almost a year now, Yami still tended to fuss over him. They had been friends ever since they first day of secondary school, and had been a couple since their third year, which was nine years ago. He should know by now what Yugi could and couldn't do, but Yami still had this incredible urge to take things out of Yugi's hands or helping him out. It had only gotten worse when they had moved in together, and for a while Yugi had wondered whether they could make it work out. But he loved the other too much to give up on him, so he dealt with Yami's mothering, but also told him to back off whenever he was being too imposing. This morning had been one such situation, but luckily Yami had quickly relented and let him go out on his own._

"_Let's see, a pack of green tea." He mumbled to himself as he lifted his head to scan the rows for the needed item. With an annoyed frown he found out that karma had just come around to bite him in the ass. There was plenty of tea within his reach, but the one he needed was on a row that was simply too high up for him._

_Suddenly there was an arm in front of him, and grabbed the little box of teabags. Yugi was about to ask the person whether he could also grab a pack for him, but before he had a chance to open his mouth the box was already offered to him._

"_Here, you wanted this one right?" The stranger said._

"_Uhm, yes, thank you." Yugi replied, regarding the helpful man with a stunned expression on his face._

"_You're Yugi, right?" The man continued, continuing to confuse Yugi even more._

"_Uh, yeah. Do I know you?" Yugi was racking his brain to figure out whether he did, but couldn't come up with anything._

_The man just simply shook his head in response, and immediately continued with barrage of questions, "Are you still seeing Yami?"_

_Yugi frowned in suspicion. Who was this man? He didn't know him, and yet the stranger knew his name and that he was with Yami, "Yes, but how do you-?" He started, but stopped when he saw a sad look cross over the man's face at the admission._

"_Right. Of course you do. That's Yami's favourite tea..." He trailed off, while looking to the side._

_Now Yugi's patience was running thin. He wanted some answers, and he wanted them now, "Just who are you? And how do you know about Yami's favourite tea?"_

_The man looked at him again, the sad expression still evident on his features, "Sorry. My name is Atem."_

That was how Yugi was officially introduced to his current boyfriend. Back then he couldn't imagine Atem to be such a tough guy. He seemed so sad and defeated when he heard that Yami wasn't available, almost as if someone had told him his best friend had just died. It made Yugi feel sad for him, even though he was still confused about what was going on. Luckily his questions were soon answered when Atem had offered him a drink at the local pub so he could explain. Since Yugi had desperately wanted answers, he had agreed. At the pub Atem told him that they had gone to the same school, only he had been a few years up. He had developed a crush on Yami ever since he had first seen him walk through the school hallways, and that he had actually asked him out a few weeks later.

_Atem was standing at the usual spot outside of the school one morning. He and his friends were chatting among one another while they waited for the bell to ring. Like usual, Valon was complaining about how much work they had to do for an upcoming test. This in turn caused Alister to reprimand him for not paying attention in class and starting way too late on his schoolwork, instead opting to chase after girls instead. Atem and Rafael simply watched them with amused expressions. Even though Valon's complaints could be a drag, it also brought a sense of normalcy that was comforting. They were in their final year of school, and they all had to admit that their teachers were flooding them with work and tests to prepare them for their exams. But unlike Valon, the other three actually paid attention in class and kept up with their work to minimise the workload once the test was around the corner, cutting the amount of time they needed to spend on studying considerably._

_Suddenly Atem's attention was diverted when he saw someone walk through the school gates. It was someone Atem had had his eyes on for a while now. The first thing that had drawn him to him were his features. He wasn't very tall, but nicely built. He wasn't feminine at all, but also wasn't overly manly. He simply exuded an air of an overall friendly guy just by walking by. He was someone you wouldn't laugh at when you would see him walking in the streets for being weird, but would instead easily trust asking a question to despite him being a stranger._

_Atem had known that he was gay for several years now, ever since he had developed a crush on one of his classmates. He had even dated him for a while, but it didn't last long. Still, it had been a very valuable experience. It had taught Atem a lot about himself and his preferences. Even though he had found out that he was a fairly dominant figure in a relationship, he also didn't want his boyfriend to be considered the 'girl' of the relationship. He believed in equality, and respected the fact that any potential partner was a man as well. That's exactly what he saw in this guy after observing him for a while now, watching him walk through the hallways, or hang out on the school yard during lunch break. He was simply just casual, normal, for lack of better words._

_But Yami wasn't just handsome and a real guy. Atem often saw him with that other guy in the wheelchair, and thought it was great that he was friends with someone like that. Also, it seemed that he was always very polite to teachers and other students. Of course he was a teen, and he had his occasional outbursts of pubescent emotions, but all in all, he was a good kid._

_So even though they differed in age by three years, Atem had fallen for him, and was now watching him make his way to the front door._

"_Are you going to talk to him or what?" Rafael, who had also detached himself from their other friends' argument, suddenly interrupted his thoughts. Atem turned his head to look at his best friend, seeing a sly grin on his face, "You've been eyeing him for weeks now. Isn't it about time to undertake action?"_

_Atem sighed, knowing the blonde was right, "But I haven't even found out whether he's even gay yet. I don't want to offend him."_

"_Well, you aren't going to find out from just staring at him, so there's only one thing left to do." Rafael urged him._

_Atem smiled. Good old Rafael, always being to the point, "Right. Wish me luck then." He said and quickly walked off to catch up with his crush._

_He found the other at his locker, where he was putting some books away while pulling others out. Atem took a deep breath and walked up to the younger boy, "Hey." He said in greeting, trying to appear casual, but wondering whether he was able to hide his nerves.._

_Yami looked up to regard the unknown person addressing him. He recognised him as one of the higher years. Which one exactly Yami didn't know, but it probably didn't really matter. He was more curious about what he wanted. He seemed friendly and casual, so perhaps he just wanted to ask Yami a simple question, "Hi, can I help you?"_

_Atem smiled at the way Yami had spoken the words. They were polite, but not spoken in referent awe many younger students would use when spoken to by an older student. It was a confident, but not a cocky reply. The genuine way in which the words had been uttered made Atem like him even more, "Yeah, you're Yami, right?"_

_Yami frowned, "Yeah, but how do you know my name?"_

_A small blush appeared on Atem's cheeks and he looked a bit sheepish, "Well, you see, I've been watching you for a while now. I've heard other people address you by that name so I simply assumed…" He explained before trailing off, eagerly waiting for Yami's response while being a little uncertain. Now that he had actually said it, it made him feel like a stalker. He hoped Yami wouldn't think he was._

_But Yami didn't become angry. If anything he looked a bit confused, "Why have you been following me?"_

"_I like you." The way Atem had spoken those words caused Yami to gape at him for his bluntness. Atem decided that he quickly had to rectify the situation before he would scare the younger boy away, "What I mean is, uhm, maybe you would like to hang out with me sometime. You know, get to know each other."_

_Now Yami became a bit uneasy, and Atem feared what was about to come. What if Yami wasn't even gay? Just because he didn't become angry at the suggestion of dating another man didn't mean that he wasn't offended or uncomfortable in any way. Atem held his breath as he waited for a response._

"_Uhm, you mean, as in a date?" Yami asked. Atem simply nodded in reply, not daring to use his voice just yet, "Oh, well, uhm. I'm flattered." Yami started, wondering how he was going to let this guy down easily. "Really, you're handsome and probably a nice guy, but there's a problem. I'm already dating someone."_

_Atem felt his heart sink in his chest. He had never felt such disappointment before, "Who?" He whispered._

"_It's Yugi. He's the guy in the wheelchair. I'm sure you've seen him if you've been watching me."_

"_Right…"_

_Yami moved to place a hand on Atem's shoulder, causing the sad young man to look at him, "Listen, uhm…"_

"_Atem." Atem supplied._

"_Atem. I'm sorry, really. If it's any consolation, I might have said yes if I were single."_

_Atem nodded. Even though it was a bitter one, it did offer him some consolation. The bell rang and Yami closed his locker and slowly moved away to get to class. He shot Atem a final apologetic look before disappearing into the crowd._

When Atem had told Yugi that story the younger man felt both proud and sad. It was clear to him that this man was still in love with Yami, which was probably the reason why he had spoken to him when he saw him. He had hoped that Yami was single, and that Yugi would be able to help him meet him. Yugi had quickly calculated that the encounter between Yami and Atem must've been some seven or eight years ago, which was a long time to stay in love if Yami had been merely a crush. This is what made Yugi sad, but at the same time he felt proud of Yami for being so loyal to him. Due to his disability Yugi had faced a lot of doubts and insecurities about being in a relationship, and to know that Yami had chosen to remain faithful to him instead of breaking their relationship to run off with this guy just made him swell with love and affection.

Yugi and Atem remained talking for a good while at the pub, talking about whatever came to mind.

"_So, Yugi, would you mind me asking a few questions about...well…your disability?" Atem asked carefully, having finally gotten comfortable enough with the other male to ask the question._

_Yugi smiled at him and nodded, "Sure, what would you like to know?"_

_Atem rubbed his head. There were so many things he wanted to know, and he didn't want to impose too much. But the way Yugi had seemed to have no problems with him asking, and was now patiently waiting for him to gather his thoughts made him a bit more confident, "How come you're paralysed?" He started, asking the question that was at the forefront of his mind._

"_Actually, I'm not." Yugi answered, causing Atem to look at him with complete bafflement. Yugi chuckled at the reaction and started to explain, "When someone is paralysed they have lost complete control and feeling in whatever limb is affected. For me, even though I can't walk, I can still move my legs a little bit and have some feeling left in them. Officially this is called paresis."_

"_So," Atem interrupted him as he processed this new information, "Essentially you legs are just too weak to work properly?"_

_Yugi smiled again and nodded, "That's right, but the rest of my body is fine though."_

"_Wow." Atem breathed, "That must suck pretty bad. I can only imagine how it must feel to have just your legs not cooperating."_

_Yugi shrugged, "I wouldn't really know. I've been in a wheelchair ever since I was two years old, so I don't really remember doing things any other way. Sure I've had to learn to do everything from my wheelchair, and that took a while, but in the end it's what I know how to do."_

_Suddenly Atem's view of the disabled young man in front of him changed. He didn't know why, but he had somehow expected him to be sad and needy, but instead he was at peace and independent. The way he spoke about being in a wheelchair was not with any kind of resentment, but rather informative. In front of him was not a weak boy, but a strong young man. It also gave Atem the confidence to find out everything he could about him._

"_So, how did you wind up in a wheelchair in the first place?" He asked with a lot more ease this time._

"_I was born with a neurological disorder that affected my motor skills. I was behind with everything that required movement, and there was only a small hope that I would be completely fine. When I was two my legs basically stopped developing, and I was diagnosed with paraparesis, the type of paresis affecting both legs. I am lucky that it didn't progress any further, and even though I took a long time and extensive physical therapy, my entire body except for my legs is fine."_

_Atem nodded throughout the explanation, still feeling a bit sad about everything Yugi had to go through in his childhood. Still, it appeared that it hadn't affected him negatively in the end, but had actually made him stronger. Again Atem's admiration for the other grew. He started to understand what a guy like Yami saw in him. At first he had taken Yami for a fool for taking up such a daunting task of caring for a disabled person. Even though he had accepted the rejection all those years ago, he had kept an eye on him, never understanding how he could be happy, and always hoping that something would break them up so he could swoop in and claim his prize. But now he understood how Yami could cope. Yugi was able to take care of himself. Just the fact that he was still in a relationship with Yami, but was shopping at the supermarket alone was proof enough that he didn't need anyone to coddle him._

_Atem sighed in resignation. For years Yami had never left his mind for long. He'd lost sight of him once he had graduated secondary school and started working at his dad and uncle's company Kaiba Corp. He had expected his feelings would eventually dissipate and leave, but he found himself thinking about Yami daily. He felt that this meant that they were meant to be, and had occasionally tried to find him, but after the younger boy had gone off to college he had lost sight of him. The fact that he had met Yugi today was just a stroke of luck, and again Atem thought this meant that he and Yami were meant to be together. His hope crumbled when Yugi told him they were still together. But now he thought that he could finally really accept it. Yugi was a great guy as long as you looked past his wheelchair._

"_Atem?"_

_Atem looked up to see Yugi look at him with a worried expression on his face, "What?" He asked._

"_You suddenly fell silent. Are you all right?"_

_Atem suddenly blushed when he recalled his final thought. He quickly ran a hand through his hair to hide it, "I-I think I'm starting to like you Yugi."_

_Yugi's eyes grew big at the confession, noting the way Atem had spoken those words. He was dumbstruck, and didn't know how to respond. Atem noticed Yugi's discomfort and was about to apologise and explain, but was interrupted by a phone ringing. Yugi snapped out of his shock and reached into his pocket to retrieve it, noticing that it was Yami calling._

"_Yami?" Yugi spoke, his voice shaking a bit._

"_Yugi? What's wrong? Where are you?" Yami, who had noticed the trill in his boyfriend's voice, said concerned._

"_I'm at the pub across the street from the supermarket." Yugi explained, but couldn't continue because Yami suddenly threw new questions at him._

"_But why are you there? And why are you sounding so off?"Yami replied, sounding slightly relieved, but still concerned at the same time._

"_I…"Yugi trailed off, shooting a brief glance in Atem's direction, seeing the man squirm a bit uncomfortably in his seat, "I met someone at the supermarket who knew you, and we decided to talk." He said, again only able to answer one of Yami's questions before the other started talking again._

"_Who? What did h-"_

"_Yami!" Yugi suddenly yelled, drawing attention and getting annoyed faces from the other customers, but he ignored them, "Please, just come over here and you'll see for yourself all right?" He ended with a much calmer tone._

"_I'll be right there Yugi!" Yami reassured and Yugi could hear him rip his jacket from the coat rack before he hung up._

Yugi smiled when he recalled that part. Yami had run all the way from home to the pub and was there within two minutes, breathing hard. The moments that followed were awkward. Yami recognised Atem and demanded to know what he had done to Yugi. It took a while before the both of them had calmed Yugi's frantic boyfriend down enough so they could explain.

In the end the meeting had actually turned out well. Once Yami had calmed down enough they had actually talked for quite a while. They had parted as newfound friends and had met up many more times after that. Slowly both Yami and Yugi also started developing feelings for Atem, and they had eventually decided to accept them, and accept Atem into their relationship. During this period Yugi had witnessed Atem being vulnerable a couple of times. It was difficult for him to find the right balance within their friendship and later relationship. It wasn't in his character to let it show too much, but both Yami and Yugi were aware that it was there. They could only imagine what it must have been like for him to be friends with two people he had come to love while the feelings weren't reciprocated at first. But the more their relationship progressed the more at ease all those involved became. And so it had been a while since Yugi had seen Atem take on a submissive role, accepting the fact that even he needed to back down sometimes.

"What are you thinking about?" Atem murmured without opening his eyes.

"How did you know I was lost in thought?" Yugi wondered.

"You stopped moving your hand through my hair." Atem explained, finally opening his eyes to look at Yugi gazing down at him.

Yugi smiled and resumed running his fingers through Atem's locks. Atem instantly relaxed and closed his eyes again, "You haven't answered my question though."

"I was just thinking about how calm and submissive you look like this. It reminded me of how we've met and how we got together." He admitted.

Atem hummed affirmatively, "That seems almost like a lifetime ago. So much has happened since then."

"Yeah."

A comfortable silence fell over them, with Yugi continuing to run his fingers through his boyfriend's hair while admiring his peaceful face. A face he loved so much.

"Like what you see?" Atem broke the silence again.

"Very much." Yugi instantly replied.

"Well, don't get used to it too much." Atem replied, opening his eyes again to see Yugi look at him with confusion, "I might be a bit tired today, but tomorrow this calm and _submissive_ Atem won't be around anymore."

Yugi laughed at the teasing comment and leaned forward to capture his boyfriend's lips. Atem happily accepted the kiss, leaning upward a bit to make it easier for the both of them. When Yugi broke away he smiled, and kept his lips only inches from Atem's when he spoke, "Don't worry." He breathed softly, "I like watching this rough and dominant Atem even better."

Atem smiled and pulled Yugi in for another kiss. He was suddenly very glad that Yami had rejected him all those years ago. If he hadn't he would have never had gotten to know Yugi like he had now, and he would have never fallen for him. His life would have been so different then, which was so difficult to imagine. Yugi was such a wonderful person, able to cope with everything Atem threw at him. They might have had their moments of struggle in the past, especially when they were still looking for the right balance in their relationship. He even occasionally overstepped his bounds, threatening to pull them apart, but in the end everything had turned out to be okay. They had learned to love each other and live together like equals. Even though Yugi and Yami had been together for longer, Atem was a full member of their trio. They had overcome many differences to get there, but Atem wouldn't change it for the world.

0o0o0

**A/N: **So lots of flashbacks in this chapter, but I felt that it was necessary to tell you how they all met. Also, in the former chapter I believe I had Yugi refer to Yami as his first boyfriend and Atem as his second, so now you understand why.

In the end, this was a nice little explanatory filler chapter mixed with a little bit more of Yugi and Atem fluff. Hope you liked it!

**Next chapter:** We go to an ordinary day in the life of our beloved trio. Though I think Yami will stay out of the picture for now.


End file.
